Home Field Advantage
by dcj
Summary: There's nothing like a little healthy competition.
1. Chapter 1

Guess what? It's time for another fluffy fundraiser. Not 100% happy with chapter 1 but it gets us where we're going. Hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I own no part of Rookie Blue.

* * *

It was a beautiful Monday morning and Andy had enjoyed the walk to work. She was more than content with her decision to keep her old apartment and not move in with Luke. On days like this, she really loved being able to get out and walk.

Unfortunately, for Luke though it was all or nothing; if Andy wasn't willing to take the next step, it was over. He was hoping that the added pressure would help her decide to move forward; he thought she just needed the extra push. But all it did was make her realize that it wasn't what she wanted and she had broken it off.

Things were still a little tense, but so far they had been able to mostly avoid each other and at least keep it civil on the few occasions they had to work together.

Andy was still smiling when she got into parade; a perfect summer day always did that for her. She met Sam's eye on the way in and he grinned back at her. (Her smile always did it for him.) She turned away quickly, hoping to hide the flush in her cheeks.

He hadn't made any kind of move since the breakup, and she wasn't quite sure what she wanted to do short of jumping him. But she wasn't willing to put herself out there without a definite sign from him so she did her best to conceal the blush that was a little too telling. She took her usual spot next to Traci forcing herself not to look back as Frank walked in.

He kept it short and sweet, but after all the assignments were given, Frank had another announcement. "Most of you already know that each year we have a charity softball game against the fire department in the 15th division. You've probably all seen the flyers, but I've just posted the sign-up sheet on the window right outside the door, and the game is a week from Saturday in the afternoon."

"So ball players…" He said, looking directly at Sam before turning to Luke. "Make sure you find a way to get that afternoon off; it would be nice to finally win one for a change. Now Serve, Protect and Get Me Bragging Rights."

As soon as everyone was dismissed, Oliver and Jerry were on Sam immediately. In previous years, he had always been their best player, with Callahan a close second.

Oliver spoke first trying to egg him on. "Come on, Sam. I see Callahan is already signing up."

Sam turned his head and could see Luke clearly through the windows, evidently bragging to the other detectives while he added his name to the list.

Jerry was with Shaw. "Yeah Sammy; you know you want to play."

But Sam wasn't biting…yet. His eyes were now peeled on Andy; he was not going to sign up until she did. If she played, he would happily play too. If she wasn't a player, he would happily sit in the stands and keep her company. He didn't need the spotlight, or Frank's bragging rights; what he needed was an excuse to spend time with Andy outside of work.

Oliver followed Sam's gaze, drawing the obvious conclusion. "What's going on Sammy? You waiting for your rookie?"

"She's not a rookie anymore." Sam was happy to point out. _But I'm working on the my part._

"You know what I mean." Oliver replied. "Don't you want to show off your prowess?" He taunted.

_He definitely wanted to show her what he could do but it had nothing to do with charity softball. _ Sam didn't respond; he just shot Oliver a look that told him he was treading in dangerous waters.

"…On the ball field of course." Oliver defended. "I'm sure she'd love to watch you play."

"He'd rather play with her." Jerry added with a smirk, clearly alluding to exactly what Sam had been thinking just moments ago.

Sam reached over to grab him in a headlock, trying hard not to grin and encourage this conversation any further. His friends knew him too well.

Before Sam could get a good hold on Jerry, Dov walked up to throw in his two cents; as usual, he had heard every word. "If you're waiting for Andy, you don't have to worry about it. I can tell you right now she's playing. There's no way Boyko will let her say no."

"What do you mean?" Sam stopped; his battle with Jerry momentarily forgotten.

"Boyko's been friends with her dad for a long time, and he knows what Andy can do on the ball field. If she doesn't sign up, he'll get her to sign up. She could be our best chance to win this year. From what I hear, you guys have been holding your own but you need some support from the women. With her and Traci, we should be good to go." Dov predicted.

That piqued Jerry's interest. "How good are they?" The idea of a bet was already forming in his head.

"Traci's played for years and rumor is that Andy could have had a softball scholarship but she wanted to go to the Academy. She'll be in; they both will. I actually think Gail has played before too." Dov assured.

Sam was still going to hold off. He'd been trying to wait patiently for some kind of sign from Andy, but it hadn't come – or at least he hadn't recognized her obvious interest like everyone else. If he could get her to relax and let her guard down, he thought he could find out for sure. So now he was just trying to find a way to spend more time with her off the clock.

He watched Andy, Traci and Gail deep in conversation as they walked out without a second look at the sign-up sheet. Sam turned and raised his eyebrows at Dov, who just shrugged his shoulders and followed them down the hall.

Not a minute later, Boyko appeared through the window; he was at the division for a meeting with Frank today. He frowned as he looked at the sheet. He sent a pointed look at Sam before turning around and walking back the same way he had come, the grimace still firmly planted on his face.

It wasn't long before he was back though, and he was followed by a contrite Andy. She immediately put her name on the list, forcing Traci and Gail to sign up right behind her. Boyko smiled at the ladies before pointing an accusing finger at Sam.

Sam stood and nodded his assent, adding his name as Boyko walked away. After a quick stop in the locker room, Sam made his way out to the cruiser to meet Andy.

They had barely left the station when Andy asked Sam as casually as she could if he had signed up too. She didn't want to appear too eager though. "I noticed that Frank was looking at you when he said 'ballplayers'. Did you sign up? Are you going to play?" Andy wondered aloud.

"Yeah. I've played some ball; I've played every other year so I thought I probably would." He replied offhandedly.

"Are you any good?" Andy teased.

"Are we still talking about softball?" Sam asked with a wink, thoroughly enjoying the color that took over Andy's cheeks.

She just shook her head and gave him an exasperated look. _Why does he always have to do that to me?_ "Yes, Sam, I'm talking about softball."

"Yeah, I'm told I'm pretty good." He answered, quickly adding. "And I'm a decent ball player too."

She didn't get redder; the color simply spread from her cheeks and made its way down her neck. _If only he could see just how far..._

It was just one more thing he found attractive about Andy. She was sexy as hell, but anything remotely suggestive from him and she was blushing like a teenager. And Sam loved every minute of it so he wasn't about to stop now. "What about you McNally? Got any skills?" _That should get her._

Sam was turning up the heat, and she was definitely feeling the effects. Andy couldn't decide if this was the sign she was looking for or if he just enjoyed teasing her. All she knew was that the temperature in the car had doubled in the last few minutes and she needed a vent fast. Thank goodness a call came in and interrupted.

Sam just laughed as Andy grabbed for her radio and quickly responded, effectively ignoring Sam's question.

He looked forward to the ball game every year, but so far this was looking like it might be the most fun yet. Besides having extra time with Andy, he would get to spend the next two weeks talking about it, while conveniently dropping every innuendo he could think of. _This was going to be fun._

The call was quick and it was almost noon, so they headed to a diner for lunch. When they sat down, Andy asked Sam when he started playing ball. He told her that he played a lot when he was growing up, adding that his sister had too. Andy could hear the sadness in his voice when he told her that Sarah never did again following the attack. After that, she would only play catch with Sam in the backyard.

The tone was somber after that, and there was a lull in the conversation. Sam took the opportunity to lower his head and start on his lunch. But Andy didn't want to leave things on a sad note, so she tried to restart the conversation. "So what's your favorite position?"

With a sharp intake of breath, Sam just about choked on his burger. _This was just getting better and better._

Before he could look up and flash a knowing grin at her, she had already realized what she had said. Her head dropped slowly back and rested against the top of the booth while she stared at the ceiling. She shook her head minutely back and forth. _Why can't you just learn to keep your mouth shut?_ _Are you allergic to silence? You couldn't think of anything else to say? You just had to go and say something like that?_

Sam sat there grinning as he tried to hold in his laughter. He didn't have to see her eyes to know she was berating herself for that slip. She didn't look like she was going to move anytime soon so he decided to take it easy on her. "McNally."

When she didn't respond, he said it again. "McNally."

He finally put his hand on hers and that definitely got her attention. When she lowered her head to look at him, he smiled gently, trying hard to tone down his amusement. He could tell she'd had enough teasing so he let her off the hook. "I normally play shortstop." He said softly.

She appreciated the effort and smiled as she shook her head and rolled her eyes at herself. "I like to play second."

That brought Sam's dimples right back out; they would be playing together in the infield, right next to each other. He couldn't help but gloat. "Swarek and McNally, side by side again - no reason to break up a good team. Right?"

"Right!" Andy agreed as she looked down at her plate and smiled. That sounded pretty good to her.

* * *

The rest of the day went quickly and when they pulled into the yard, Sam asked Andy if she was going to the Penny tonight. She told him she had made plans to go there with Traci; he was disappointed that she didn't need a ride, but promised he would see her there.

Andy met up with Traci in the locker room and they showered quickly before heading to the bar. As soon as they entered, they saw the rest of the rookies at their usual table. Traci grinned as she waited for Andy go through her regular ritual. She wasn't even sure if Andy was aware of it, but every time they came in Andy's eyes scanned the entire bar. As soon as they got their Swarek fix, she would be good to go. Traci just waited patiently while she pretended not to notice.

Andy thought she was being discreet; she didn't want anyone to catch her, especially Sam. But as she swept the room tonight, she caught Sam's eye before she had a chance to look away. He smiled and winked at her. She smiled back shyly and couldn't help the gleam that entered her eye. He seemed to have been looking for her too. _Did he always do that?_

Even from across the room, Sam caught the twinkle in her eye. When that brought his dimples out, it only served to color Andy's cheeks a deeper red. Her grin grew as she turned away shaking her head.

Sam didn't want to spook her, but he had decided that he needed to do more than just sit and wait. With a few small gestures, he was hoping to make his intentions clear without pressuring her. And if her reaction was any indication, so far she seemed to be enjoying the extra attention.

Andy sat down with a grin and everyone asked her why she was so happy. She didn't have an answer, at least not one that she could share, so she just chalked it up to a good day. Traci smiled knowingly having caught her earlier exchange with Sam.

Pretty soon, though, they were all deep in conversation about the upcoming ball game. Every one of them had signed up and was anxious to help the division win for the first time in 5 years. The rookies quickly made plans to meet after work on Friday to practice a little; they all wanted to impress the white shirts. They decided to go to a nearby field, practice for an hour or so, then run back to the station to shower before grabbing a bite to eat and heading to the Penny together. Sounded like the perfect end to the week.

"I'll try not to embarrass you all with my mad skills on Friday." Dov bragged.

Chris burst out laughing. "I've seen you play, Dov. I'll admit you can run, but you better hope you get walked every time or you won't even have a chance to do that."

Everyone else laughed as Dov sulked into his beer. _I'll show them._

Over at the bar, Sam had been sitting with Oliver, Jerry and Noelle but his eyes were continuously drawn to the rookie table trying to catch another glimpse of Andy. He could tell they were talking about the ball game by all the gestures – she tended to talk with her hands a lot. He couldn't help the smile that came to his face at her excitement. He grinned down at his drink and shook his head before trying to pick back up with the conversation going on around him.

More than once he was caught off guard by a question from one of his friends. It didn't take long for them to realize that Sam's mind was nowhere near them. They finally just gave up on including Sam in the conversation and left him in his own little world…the one that revolved around his attractive partner.

He was fine with that because more than once he caught Andy glancing back at him too.

He left at the end of the night quite content. He hadn't even spoken to Andy, but it still felt like the most progress they'd made in a long time. If he was lucky, he'd come out of this game with more than just bragging rights.

* * *

Nothing like a little healthy competition...we'll see if Sam agrees.


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks to mamaverd for introducing me to Mack and all his friends!

I've played a lot of ball so it was a little tough to write because there are some things I take for granted because I've known them forever. But it's hard to know everyone's experience so I hope I didn't go too far one way or the other with too much detail or not enough.

Hope you enjoy!

* * *

Tuesday morning the upcoming softball game was still the talk of the division. More than enough players had signed up and the team was looking pretty good. It seemed that Frank thought so too because he was definitely in a good mood for parade.

It was routine patrol for Sam and Andy that morning and it was apparent that Andy was still excited as well. Sam smiled as she went on and on about playing softball. She definitely liked to talk, but the majority of the time it wasn't to share personal information so he was happy that they had this common ground. It was helping her to relax and he was grateful that it let him see another side of her. It wasn't enough to satisfy his curiosity though; it just made him want to know more.

Andy realized she had been going on and on, and knowing this was a shared interest, she thought it might help her learn a little bit more about the mysterious Sam Swarek. He wasn't much for sharing personal details – after their incident coming back from Sudbury he had told her about his sister and why he became a cop. She appreciated knowing that about him, but as with everything he did, it just made her want to know more.

Andy wasn't quite ready to tip her hand so she was still trying to play it cool and keep it light. "Did you play any other positions besides shortstop?"

"I pitched a little too. If I had to I could play in the outfield. It didn't really matter to me; I just wanted to be out there."

"So you played the field….literally." Andy teased.

Sam smiled. "I thought we weren't going there anymore, but hey…"

Andy cut him off. "No, no. You're right. Forget I said that. Enough about the fielding; do you have a good bat?"

Sam raised his eyebrows and grinned, preparing to steer this conversation completely sideways. Whether she meant to or not, she seemed intent on enticing him to do it.

But Andy was way ahead of him. "Keep it clean, Swarek." She warned.

"Fine; but my way would be a lot more fun."

"Oh, I don't doubt that." She muttered under her breath.

He looked over at her with a smirk. "What was that?"

"Oh nothing, go ahead. You were saying?"

He smirked again; she was definitely loosening up. "I don't like to brag, but the last few years they've had me batting cleanup. I've held my own; hit a few dingers."

"I can't wait to be impressed." She said with a grin.

Sam started to chuckle, but the moment was cut short when they were called to a break in and had to go. The call took the rest of the morning, and after they got the suspect into booking, they headed for lunch.

They were sitting outside eating at the cruiser when Sam looked over to Andy. "Hey McNally, what do you do with a giraffe with 3 balls?"

She just looked over at him. "Oh, oh. Reading your joke book when you got home last night? And I thought we were keeping it clean?"

"Just answer the question."

"I don't know Sam what do you do with a giraffe with 3 balls?" She asked in her best straight man imitation.

"You walk him and pitch to the elephant." He delivered, forcing the dimples.

He looked so cute she just had to laugh. "Have you been saving that one all morning?" She guessed.

"You got me, McNally." He said, the humor in his voice fading when the implication of his words set in.

Andy met his eyes and he could see the wheels turning as the underlying meaning hit her too.

* * *

That afternoon and the next few days went by quickly; it was a busy week with lots of calls and they seemed to get back late most nights.

Before they knew it, it was Friday, and they finally had another chance to talk ball again while they were having lunch. Andy asked Sam if he played in school too. He told her he played in high school, and she asked if he had any exciting games. It was his senior year, one of the final games of the season, and they were hoping to make it to the championships. His team was down by one run in the last inning, and Sam came up to bat with 2 out and 1 man on.

"Let me guess. You hit the game winning home run and they carried you off on their shoulders." Andy mocked.

"Who's telling this story?"

"Sorry…go ahead."

"No, smart ass, I didn't hit a home run, but I did hit a double so the tying run scored, and I was the winning run on second. The next batter hit a single into the field and when I went to third the coach sent me home."

"OK…so you sc…" She interrupted, but he stopped her with a look and she held her hands up in defense.

"The coach sent me and I could see the throw coming in from the field so I slid in hard."

"Did you score?" Andy asked.

Sam laughed and cocked an eyebrow. "Not until after the game."

Andy laughed too. "So who was the lucky girl?"

Sam grinned. "No…no such luck. Actually, I went out at the plate and we lost the game, which meant we didn't make the playoffs. Do you really think the girls were lining up after that?"

Andy patted his cheek. "Poor, Sammy…but I still think you're holding out on me. I'm sure it would take more than that to stop the girls from chasing after you. Surely someone must have offered to make you feel better."

Before she could move her hand, Sam grasped it gently. He held her hand and her gaze as he lowered his voice. "I don't kiss and tell."

And the way he said it, caught Andy off guard. It was almost like he was trying to make a point; a promise that he could be discreet if that's what she wanted. She got quiet after that and Sam left her to her thoughts.

At the end of the day, Sam asked Andy if she was going to the Penny; it had been a hectic week and they had been late most nights so he hadn't seen her there since Monday. He was anxious to see if they could take today's conversation a little further.

He was disappointed to hear that she had plans with the other rookies. She didn't go into details, but he was hopeful when she said that they were going to stop by later.

As usual, he was done in the locker room before her, and he had just gotten into his truck when he saw the rookies all walk out together. Andy had her hair in a ponytail and had changed into her usual tank top with a pair of short shorts. And again, as usual, he thought she looked gorgeous. He couldn't tell you what anyone else was wearing though, it was a wonder he even noticed them.

All in all it had been a pretty good week, and Sam smiled as he pulled out.

* * *

The rookies drove over to a ball field that was only a couple of blocks away. Most of them had played before and were quite good. Gail though hadn't played in a long time and she needed the most practice so they decided to let her try batting first. Chris pitched the first ball and her swing looked really awkward.

When Dov laughed, she was ready to quit right then and there. She put her hand on her hip and turned to Andy. "I told you I didn't want to sign up. I will not look like an idiot in front of my family and the whole division." She vowed.

"Come on Gail you just need to get the hang of it again." Andy encouraged. "Let me help you."

Andy was about to walk up to Gail when she thought of something important. "Traci"

They had been friends a long time, and had hung out with Dov for far too long. Traci knew exactly what that look meant. She walked up to Dov. "Give."

"What?" Dov was confused.

"Cell phone. Give." Traci demanded.

"Why?"

Traci just gave him the look – the one that a mother uses instinctively, the one that stops you in your tracks and makes you wonder what you did this time. Without another question, Dov handed over his cell phone.

The minute the phone changed hands, Andy came up behind Gail and put her arms around her to walk her through the motions of the swing.

Dov moaned. "Oh God…this is how my dreams start. Nash!"

Traci just laughed. "No way, Epstein," she managed to squeak out before she took off at a dead run with Dov hot on her heels.

Andy walked Gail through the swing as Dov continued to chase a giggling Traci all around the field.

Chris just laughed. "You can't even catch Traci; what happened to those skills you were bragging about. You can't even run anymore; you might as well give up now, Dov."

"Just pitch the ball, Diaz." Dov wheezed, finally giving up on Traci. Andy had already stepped away from Gail anyway; his photo op was lost. _At least I have a good memory._

Andy moved around to face Gail, asking her to swing slowly and guiding her bat through the swing making sure that she followed through with a snap of her wrists. When Andy walked away, Chris pitched the ball, and Gail hit it. It wasn't great but she was still much happier. Chris continued to pitch to her while the others shagged the balls she hit. It didn't take long for Gail to get her swing back, along with her confidence.

Once they had Gail on track the rest took turns batting. Chris was going to be pitching for the big game, but Andy had played enough that she could take over for him when it was his turn to hit. When everyone had batted, they were actually feeling pretty good about themselves and swore to take the coppers to victory this year.

They were just about to practice some fielding plays, when a group of 4 men and 1 woman came up and asked to join. They were hoping to get some practice in too and wondered if they could share the field.

Dov wanted to say no. Every single one of the guys looked like they could pick him up and bench press him. And the girl, well he would rather be spending time with her where his skills were more apparent.

"Of course." Andy, Traci and Gail all said at the same time.

Dov and Chris grimaced in response as the spokesman of the new group laughed. "Thanks. I'm Trent Bolton…Bolt." He said as he circulated to shake all their hands.

He immediately continued with the introductions. "This is Jackson." He motioned toward a tall, stocky brunette with huge arms and hair that looked purposefully messy, and too perfect, not to be intentional.

"Jax." The other man clarified as he shook everyone's hand.

"And this lovely lady," Bolt said pointing to the only girl in the group. "…is Abby White."

"Everyone calls me Snow." She offered.

"Is that because of the name or…I mean these guys are hardly dwarfs…" Gail wondered.

"They are emotionally." Abby answered with a chuckle.

"Hey." The guys groaned in unison, pretending to be hurt.

The rookies all laughed and welcomed her with smiles as she moved through the group. Dov held on a few extra seconds till she met his eye; he loved a girl with a sense of humor.

Bolt then gestured towards a strawberry blonde, with amazing green eyes. He wasn't overly tall, but he was definitely in great shape. It looked like he spent just the right amount of time in the gym, not enough to be obsessed, but enough to look damn fine. "Our resident Irishmen Macklin."

Macklin shook all their hands, but looked directly in Andy's eyes when he saved her for last. "You can call me Mack."

Andy looked away, unable to help the slight blush that was coming to her cheeks. Traci smiled. _Apparently he likes his girls Irish too. _

"And last but not least is the baby of the group." Traci looked him over; he definitely did not look like a baby to her. "This is Durrell, but we all call him Bronko."

The rookies exchanged looks, clearly confused. "OK, all the other nicknames I get…but how do you get from Durrell to Bronko?" Traci asked. "There has to be a story there."

They all laughed at Bronko's discomfort till Jax offered a suggestion. "Get him drunk enough and he just might tell you."

"Yep…going to have to hear that one." Traci promised, and Bronko looked like he might not mind sharing those details with her.

On the other side of the circle, Dov was sulking again. These guys all had manly nicknames and even the girl had a nickname and he was about to be introduced as a little white bird. He was starting to doubt more than his mad skills.

Andy quickly introduced all the rookies, apologizing for their boring names. "I'm sure we can come up with something for you." Mack promised with a wink, grinning when Andy blushed in response.

His buddies just laughed at the obvious flirtation till Bolt brought them back to reality. "So where were you guys at? What were you going to do next?"

"We've all had a chance to bat, so if you guys want to take turns that works. Once we're through everyone, maybe we can practice some fielding; maybe have an infield." Andy suggested, happy to redirect the attention away from her.

"Sounds good." Mack said to Andy, not giving anyone else the chance to talk to her. They all just grinned at each other; the man was on a mission. _Here we go._

Every single one of the new players was a really good hitter; there were a lot of balls hit hard and far. When Mack came up to bat, he pointed to Andy at second. She just laughed, tilting her chin up quickly. "Bring it on."

He liked her spunk. But the first pitch from Chris, he hit way into the outfield.

"I'm over here." Andy taunted with a wave.

She didn't have to tell him. He was acutely aware of where she was.

The next pitch, he hit a hard line shot at Andy. He looked a little panicked; he had seen her field when the other guys were hitting, but this one was hard and he was worried he had gone too far. He didn't need to worry. The ball was just over Andy's head and she jumped quickly and snagged it with a grin. "Next" she teased as she tossed the ball back to Chris.

_Gorgeous and can play ball. _Mack thought she was a lethal combination. He also happened to notice the patch of skin that was still peeking out from under her tank top; it had ridden up when she jumped to catch the ball. As Andy was straightening it out, Mack turned to see Jax watching Andy from short. When Jax met Mack's eye, he shot him a look that clearly said hands off. Jax just conceded, acknowledging that Mack had already made his interest known earlier.

Mack was the last one to bat so they decided to have an infield practice next. Bolt would be hitting around to the various positions, with each person taking turns fielding the ball and throwing it to Traci at first. Gail was going to catch the balls coming back in for Bolt. Chris looked a little disgruntled, but Gail didn't seem to be overly interested so he tried to relax.

Mack, Dov, and Abby were in the outfield mainly for backup, but Bolt would occasionally hit a fly ball out to them too – just to keep them involved.

Traci was awesome at first base. She picked up everything they threw at her, and Bronko was watching from third as she made every play. He threw one bad one in the dirt, but she dug it right out and he was impressed. "Nice one, Trace."

She grinned back at him and then caught Andy's eye before she got back into position. "What?"

"Nice one, Trace." Andy teased with a smirk.

"Shut up." Traci said with a giggle.

A few plays later, the short stop Jax threw one off to the side, and Traci practically did the splits to pick it up. Andy was cheering, as she glanced surreptitiously over to see what Traci's fan Bronko was doing. His jaw was practically on the ground but Andy couldn't tell if he was just impressed with her play or perhaps appreciating her flexibility.

Andy had her own admirer though as she seemed to be putting on a clinic too. She was turning double plays with Jax while Mack was in the field enjoying the view from behind. On one play she short hopped a ball that most players wouldn't have picked up, man or woman. He definitely wanted to know more about this girl.

Dov and Abby were oblivious to all of it though. They were in their own world, laughing in the outfield about who knows what. Bolt thought he would catch them off guard when hit a fly ball right at the two of them. But Abby just took 2 steps to her left, caught the ball and threw it back in without even breaking the conversation.

Since that didn't work, Bolt decided to see if he could catch Andy and Traci. He hit a ball exactly in between the two of them and they both went for it. It went by Traci, but Andy scooped it up. She glanced over and grinned; Chris was already covering first. She tossed the ball to him and he touched first with his foot.

Bolt was impressed and the rookies were proud of themselves. Traci and Andy came together doing some intricate handshake/celebration dance that could only have been dreamed up at ladies night after a couple of bottles of wine. When it ended with a booty shake, everyone cheered and catcalled in response. It was the perfect note to end on and Bolt suggested it was time to call it quits.

It was agreed; everyone was having fun, but they were all tired.

"You guys wanna go out for a drink?" Abby invited, her gaze landing on Dov for a response.

"Sounds great." Dov agreed as Chris gave him a not so subtle elbow to the ribs.

"Maybe we can get that story out of Bronko." Traci challenged to his amusement.

"We just need to run back to the station and clean up." Andy explained. "We were planning to go to the Black Penny anyway. Do you want to meet us there?"

The other group all looked at each other. They just realized that they had been practicing with their competition – that was the cop bar.

"Actually," Jax answered for the group. "The rest of our team couldn't make it to practice, but we're supposed to meet them at the Blue Canary."

It was the rookies' turn to exchange looks, and they all started to laugh when the lights went on. That was the bar the firemen generally hung out at; these guys would be playing against them in the game next Saturday.

"Were you guys supposed to meet anyone there?" Jax asked.

Bronko looked at Traci hopefully as Mack watched Andy. Andy and Traci looked at each other – they both had reasons to want to go to the Penny, but technically they didn't have plans. And right now they were just having fun. "No…we're good." They agreed.

"We were just going to hang out together anyway." Dov confirmed happily.

"Great," Bolt said. "Why don't you come with us to the Canary tonight and after the game next weekend, we'll go over to the Penny with you guys."

"Deal!" Andy agreed before asking. "Where is the Canary exactly?"

Mack was happy to give Andy directions while the others arranged to meet in about an hour.

"Do you think you girls can get ready that fast?" Jax goaded.

"Don't worry about us." Gail shot back. "I think you should be more worried about getting that pretty head of hair of yours back in place on time. Are you sure 60 minutes is enough for you?"

Everyone laughed when his smile wavered, but he recovered quickly. "See you in an hour." He promised as they walked away.

* * *

Nothing like a little friendly competition...here's hoping it stays that way.


	3. Chapter 3

A.N. – After starting this chapter, I went back and made a small change to the previous chapter to better accommodate how I wanted Andy to feel. I wanted her to be second guessing her actions and so I needed her motivation to go out tonight to be more about just having fun. A comment about not knowing where she stood with Sam has been moved to this chapter. If you want to review the change before you start, it's right when she and Tracy agree to coming out to the Canary. Sorry for the curve ball :)

* * *

About 45 minutes after the practice ended, the firemen made their way to their usual haunt. Other members of their team and some co-workers were already there. When they pulled up their seats and 5 extras, everyone else looked confused. They quickly informed the group that they had ended up practicing with some of the cops from the 15th division.

"What? Fraternizing with the enemy?"

"Man I hope so." Mack said under his breath. _He definitely wouldn't mind getting closer to Andy._

"Actually, they had the field first, and let us join." Abby clarified. "We didn't find out they were on the cop team till we invited them out for a drink."

"You invited them here?"

"Yeah…they should be here in about 15 minutes." Jax was sure on the time. Gail's comment had hit too close to home and he knew exactly how long it had taken him to get ready.

They got a few more ribbings and had just settled into smaller conversations when the door opened. Everyone at the tables looked up as Gail, Andy and Traci entered first with Dov and Chris not far behind.

As usual, Andy came in and her eyes scanned the entire bar, but she realized quickly that her efforts were wasted; Sam was not going to be here. _Why did she agree to come again?_

All the conversations stopped and the firefighters just gawked at the door. The girls had cleaned up very nicely and they were all looking fine; every single man in the group seemed to take notice. And they were pleasantly surprised when Bolt stood up and motioned the rookies over.

"No wonder you invited them out."

"Don't even think about the brunette," Mack ordered territorially.

"Why not?"

"Line forms in the rear." Mack explained before adding. "Bet you wish you would've come to practice eh?"

"What about…" Someone else started.

"Traci's with me." Bronko announced. "I'm hoping to see her interrogation techniques up close. She wants my story; she's going to have to work for it." He grinned.

"Is that the blonde?"

"No, but…" and before Jax could finish, Chris put a protective arm around Gail. He could see half the guys drooling over his female friends, and he wasn't taking any chances.

There were a lot of disappointed guys mumbling the same thing. "Are you kidding me?"

"You should've come to practice." Bronko bragged.

Bolt made some quick introductions though the rookies were pretty sure they wouldn't remember even half the names.

"Dov," Abby called out as she waved him over to the chair beside her and a couple other women.

Dov grinned and bee lined to her side of the table. She returned his smile and they launched back into their conversation as if it had never been interrupted. The other ladies she had been talking to were on their own.

A few guys stood up trying to shift seats to leave an empty one beside them, but Bronko had already pulled a chair up beside him and motioned to Traci. With a grin she walked over to sit down.

Andy was still standing next to Chris; she really wanted to sit beside Traci but her friend was already deep in conversation with Bronko. She started to move to stand behind Traci when Mack offered her a chair between him and Bolt.

Andy was hesitant. She had worried about her actions on the ball field for the entire ride over. The girls had teased her in the locker room about flirting with Mack. She had originally denied it, but they told her to think about it a little harder. And she didn't like what she found.

Unfortunately, she always got carried away when she played ball and she had been talking a pretty big game. When she paired that with all the comments Mack had made to her, she could see why they thought she had been flirting back. But she had really just been having fun. She was about to pay the price for that fun, though. When she saw the look on Mack's face as he offered her a chair, she knew he had thought she was flirting back too.

He was definitely a nice guy, and technically she really wasn't taken, but her heart was. She may not know exactly where things stood with Sam, but she knew exactly where she wanted them to be. Now she needed to find a way to break it to Mack.

Chris could see that Andy was a little reluctant and he had noticed her failed ritual; Traci wasn't the only one that paid attention. He grabbed a couple chairs for him and Gail and pulled them over to sit just behind Andy. He had her back.

When everyone sat down, the razzing started right away about how the firefighters were going to beat the cops, but Bolt was quick to remind his team that they hadn't seen these girls play.

"That's usually the weakness of your team, but this year, I think it's going to be pretty tight." Bolt predicted.

"You must be good; Bolt doesn't throw out complements very easily."

Bolt just rolled his eyes at his friend. "Maybe if you deserved one…"

"Ooh!" The group chorused.

It wasn't long before a number of side conversations started, and Mack was doing what he could to monopolize Andy, but she seemed to be pretty popular.

Andy tried to talk to a number of different people and was happy to discuss either her job or the upcoming ball game. She could see that Mack was pretty intent on getting her into a personal conversation though, and he was definitely turning on the charm. She did her best to be polite, but she was careful not to flirt back.

It wasn't that he wasn't nice; he was. The practice had been fun and she had originally wanted to come; she always enjoyed going out after a ball game. But she really wasn't looking to start something with Mack. She was hoping that he would get the hint if she remained aloof. She really didn't want to lead him on any more than she already had.

Mack had just garnered Andy's attention again, when Chris tapped him on the shoulder to ask him a question. When he turned away to respond, Andy took that opportunity to start a conversation with Bolt. She found out he was married with 2 kids. When he told her his wife was also a firefighter, she asked him what it was like to be married to someone with the same job. She had a lot of questions for him and that had Bolt wondering if his friend Mack was chasing his tail. Andy had been pretty bold at the ball field, but she was pretty shy now that she was here. Her interest in this topic definitely had him thinking.

Gail was half listening to Chris' conversation with Mack, but her attention quickly turned to Andy and Bolt for two very different reasons - she was wondering about her future with Chris, but she was also trying to get a read on Andy's interest. She was pretty sure she knew where it was coming from.

Mack kept glancing over at Andy; he wanted to get out of his conversation with Chris, but she was so involved with talking to Bolt and Gail that he didn't want to be rude.

On the other side of the table, Bronko and Traci were laughing with a few others. She kept trying to get someone to tell her the story about how he got his name, but he wouldn't let them tell her. He was planning to drag this out as long as possible to make sure she stayed for a while.

He needn't have worried; Traci was having a blast. These guys were really fun and Bronko was being very sweet and attentive. It was a nice feeling. She had broken it off with Dex and things hadn't picked up with Jerry yet. She was still wondering if there was a future there, but it was nice to know that she might have options. When she found out Bronko liked kids, she was even more attracted to him. Maybe a little competition was what Jerry needed to get his act together or maybe that boat had sailed. Right now, it didn't matter; all she knew was that she was enjoying herself...and she thought she deserved at least that.

Mack was finally able to talk with Andy again and he started teasing her about giving her that nickname. She knew she had to put a stop to this. There was no way she was letting him give her a nickname; he was already getting way to close for comfort. She put her hand gently on his arm, but before she even said anything he knew.

He really liked her, but he didn't want to scare her off and he could tell she was getting nervous with the attention. She had seemed into it at the ball field, but something was obviously holding her back now. "Too much, too soon?" He asked trying to meet her eyes.

She smiled and nodded. He was just about to ask her if she had a boyfriend when Chris and Gail stood up to say they had to go.

Gail needed to get home and Chris was her ride. And unfortunately for Dov, Chris was his ride too.

Dov told Abby goodbye and they both looked at each other like they wanted to say more. But Dov couldn't take the pressure of asking for her number in front of all these guys, so he didn't. And although Abby wanted to give Dov her number, she didn't want all these guys up in her business so she didn't push it. They would find a way though; even if they had to wait till the game next Saturday.

Chris looked at Andy; he could tell she was ready to leave too.

"Trace." Andy said, trying to pull her attention from Bronko. _They were definitely getting along well._

"Trace." She tried again.

When Traci looked over, Andy asked if she was ready to go. Andy was actually thinking they still might be able to catch Sam at the Penny. _It wasn't that late yet._

"Maybe one more?" Traci asked hopefully. "I'm still trying to find out about the nickname." Her eyes were practically begging Andy to stay.

Traci was her best friend and Andy couldn't abandon her. "I guess we're staying." She said to Chris as she shrugged her shoulders. He gave her a reassuring smile as they told everyone good night.

"See you at the game." Chris said as he walked out.

"And remember it's the Penny next week." Gail reminded.

Someone asked what she was talking about and Abby told them about the promise to go to the Penny after the game next weekend.

After all the subsequent groaning and joking was over, the conversations picked back up where they left off. Mack had pulled back and Andy was happy to talk ball with both him and Bolt. If it had been just the two of them, Mack might have been able to ask Andy whether or not she had a boyfriend, but he didn't want to that in front of his captain. He'd have to find out though. He could take it slow if that's what she wanted, but first he needed to know if she was even available.

Andy had been nursing her drink for a while; she had seen how determined Traci was to get Bronko drunk enough to tell the story about his nickname. When Andy finished it, she stood up to go to the washroom and she tapped Traci on the way by. When Traci looked up, she said, "You have 10 minutes. Do you want to play good cop bad cop or do you think you can get it out of him?"

Traci laughed. "I'll let you know."

Andy winked at Bronko. "At least wait till I get back though; I want to know too."

Abby followed Andy to the bathroom and they chatted for a bit. On the way back, she handed Andy a piece of paper and asked her to give it to Dov. Andy smiled; she liked Abby and she knew that Dov did too.

When they got back to the table, Andy questioned Traci with her eyes. She shook her head so Andy just looked at Bronko and said. "OK. Out with it."

Bronko grinned. He wasn't drunk, but he'd had his fun stringing Traci along. It was not his proudest moment, but he was happy to share. They were all friends, and it was all in good fun.

He started by asking the ladies a question. "Did you get any hazing when you first started?"

"Nothing big." Andy answered. "They cuffed our hands behind our backs and we had to get out of them anyway we could. First one out got to drink for free and the others had to pay."

"Did either of you win?" Jax wondered.

"Andy would have." Traci bragged. "You should have seen the way…" But Andy stopped her with a wide-eyed look.

"Gail talked her brother into letting her out so she won." Andy explained quickly.

Mack would have preferred the first explanation, and from the looks of some of the other guys, they were pretty curious too, but it was obvious that Andy wasn't about to share.

"Anyways..." Bronko started again. "After my first day, we of course came here. Near the end of the night, they dared me to ride the bronco."

The girls looked around the bar searching. "You mean like a mechanical bull or something?" Andy asked.

"Sort of." Bronko answered to the hysterical laughter of his friends.

He stood up and walked towards the window motioning for Andy and Traci to follow him. When they got to the window, he pointed across the street to a strip mall.

"What are we looking at?" Traci asked.

"Look to the left of the bank."

Both girls started to giggle. To the left of the bank, was a kiddie horse – the kind where you drop in a coin to rock back and forth for 60 seconds.

"No way!" Traci said.

"Oh yeah!" Jax yelled. "But that's not even the good part; there's more."

Andy looked at Bronko in anticipation.

"I got on, Bolt put the money in, and it started to move. But apparently I'd had a little too much to drink and my balance was a bit off."

Andy and Traci were almost doubled over now. "You fell from the kiddie pony?" Traci asked in between chuckles.

"Not only did I fall, but I hit my head on the way down and Bolt had to help me stand up."

"He was so dizzy; he took 3 steps and puked." Bolt laughed. "There was no way we couldn't call him Bronko after that."

Bronko was laughing too. He was obviously a good sport and it was one more thing Traci appreciated about him. "Please tell me someone has pictures." She begged.

"Oh Yeah." Jax confirmed before Andy rained on the parade.

"Well that was definitely worth staying for, but we do have to go now." Andy reminded. "Come on, Trace. We have to work tomorrow."

Traci looked at Bronko and he winked.

"It was fun." She said mostly to him, before announcing to the group. "And I want to see those pictures."

That brought out another round of laughter as Andy pulled Traci to the door with her. "See you all next week." Andy said as they left.

* * *

Back at the Penny, Jerry, Sam, Noelle and Oliver had all been hanging out at their usual spot at the bar.

"It's Friday night. Don't the rooks usually beat us here?" Jerry recalled.

"Didn't Traci tell you?" Noelle asked. "They were all going to go practice for the ball game next weekend. I think they want to get some brownie points with Frank." She guessed.

"They're going to need more than that to make up for all the bonehead moves they made this month." Oliver asserted.

"I would've thought they'd be here by now though." Noelle said. "They were going right after work."

"Guess they just need a lot of practice. Not like you, eh Sammy? Who needs practice when you're just that good?" Jerry bragged on Sam's behalf.

Sam was laughing with his friend but he was more concerned about why they weren't here by now. Andy had said they would be stopping by after.

Around 11 o'clock, the door opened and they all turned, some more hopefully than others. It was Chris and Dov; they had dropped Gail off and decided to go to the Penny for one more drink.

"Isn't it past your bedtime?" Oliver wondered.

"Yeah, and what was that a 4 hour practice?" Jerry mocked. "Are you guys really that bad?"

Sam didn't care about the practice. "What about the girls? Weren't they with you?"

"Gail had to head home so we dropped her off. We actually only practiced for about an hour and a half." Chris explained. "We finished quite a while ago but we ended up sharing the field with some of the firefighters and they invited us over to their bar for a drink."

"We left the other two girls there." Dov added.

Sam and Jerry just about choked on their drinks. Sam recovered first and spoke in complete disbelief. "You just left them there by themselves?"

"They weren't alone." Chris assured him.

That's what he was afraid of.

* * *

Nothing like knowing who the competition is…here's hoping they find out soon.


	4. Chapter 4

We're getting closer to the ball game. I hope you enjoy!

* * *

_Sam and Jerry just about choked on their drinks. Sam recovered first and spoke in complete disbelief. "You just left them there by themselves?"_

_"They weren't alone." Chris assured him._

_That's what he was afraid of._

"Why didn't you invite them here to the Penny?" Sam wondered. _…where we could keep an eye on them._

"We actually asked them to come here first, but they had already made plans to meet the rest of their team. So we went there tonight and they said they would all come to the Penny next weekend after the softball game." Chris explained.

That surprised all of the senior officers. The games were always friendly but they could never remember a time when they went out together afterward.

Dov and Chris went to order their drinks, while Sam and Jerry finished theirs up. Oliver and Noelle were grinning at each other, just waiting for the show to start.

"Ten bucks says Swarek's the first one to go." Noelle whispered to Shaw.

"What do I look like… a rookie?" Shaw was almost insulted.

Sam and Jerry kept exchanging glances but neither one wanted to suggest leaving. Sam was trying to play it cool; it would be too obvious if he just got up and left now. Jerry was trying to decide if he had the right; technically he and Traci hadn't started back up again, but he still cared.

"Fine…we both know Sammy's gonna crack first." Noelle agreed.

"You wanna bet how long it takes?" Oliver offered. "If he orders another drink or not?"

But before Oliver and Noelle had a chance to finalize their wager, Sam called the bartender over and ordered a double; he was going to need it. Jerry just followed his lead; he was pretty sure Sam wouldn't stay much longer anyways, and then he could just tag along.

Oliver and Noelle sat back and chuckled. "Well, that answers that question." Oliver noted.

"But there's no way Sammy lasts another drink…no way. Look at his leg." Noelle pointed out.

Sam's right leg was bouncing up and down. He had never been one to sit on the sidelines and wait; he needed action. And in this case, he needed to know what was going on. He was doing his best to sip his drink, but all he really wanted to do was down it and leave. He looked over and saw Shaw and Williams shaking their heads. "Shut up." He muttered as he turned his attention back to his drink.

Dov and Chris had gotten their drinks and were moving to their usual table. As soon as they started to walk away, Sam nudged Jerry with his elbow and nodded his head quickly in their direction. "Hey Rooks. Why don't you sit over here tonight and fill us in on the competition?" And Jerry wasn't talking about softball, but he didn't think they needed to know that.

Dov and Chris grinned at each other and rushed right over. They didn't have to be asked twice.

"So how good was the other team?" Jerry asked, trying to keep up the appearance.

"Subtle." Shaw coughed out.

Subtle or not, Sam didn't care…whatever it took to get these two talking. He could tell that Shaw and Williams saw right through it, but he figured Epstein would just be happy to gossip.

"They were really good actually." Dov admitted. "I think Bolt was likely the team captain and I'm pretty sure he said he pitched too."

Before he could go any further, Jerry interrupted in disbelief. "Bolt? The guys name is Bolt?"

"Actually it's Trent Bolton, but they call him Bolt." Chris explained. "And yes, he was their pitcher; great hitter too. They could all hit."

"Abby was the only girl that showed; she was also a great hitter…and she got hit **on** too." Dov bragged with a grin. "She's going to be playing rover on Saturday so watch out for her arm."

_Who cared about the girl? _Sam needed more information about the guys. "Great…rover can hit and has a good arm. Next?"

"Um…well Jax played short." Chris began. "He and McNally were great together; they made a good team."

Sam didn't like the sound of that. _**He**__ and McNally made a good team – no one else. Was this guy trying to move in on her? How was he going to find that out?_

"What do you mean?" Jerry asked. Sam made a mental note that he owed Jerry one.

"They were practicing double plays and they both did a great job. It was like they'd played together for years."

Dov piped up then; he didn't like that Chris was getting all the attention. "Bronko played third, and he threw a few away. But I think that was because he was more interested in watching Traci than he was in playing."

He had Jerry's full attention with that comment. "Watching Traci what?"

"Traci is really good at first. She picked up a lot of balls in the dirt and to the side. She was putting on a show and he seemed to be her biggest cheerleader." Chris explained.

"But when she did the splits," Dov interrupted. "I'm pretty sure he literally had to pick his jaw up off the ground."

OK…so Sam now knew he didn't have to worry about this Bronko guy. "Was there anybody else we should know about?"

"Just one more guy….Macklin." Chris stated.

Dov interrupted, looking at Chris and laughing. "Could he have been any more obvious?"

Dov stood up and grabbed Chris' hand to shake it and looked deep into his eyes. "You can call me Mack. He didn't tell any of us that; did he? Nope; he shook all of our hands, but he saved that little offer just for McNally."

Noelle was watching Sam closely; she knew he was starting to crack now. And if he gripped his glass any tighter, it would too. Sam hadn't even met the guy and he looked like he wanted to kill him.

Dov, on the other hand, was in heaven. Everyone knew that Jerry liked Traci, and Dov was pretty sure that there was something between Swarek and McNally and this was his chance to confirm it. He was going to work this situation till he got what he wanted. And Sam's reaction so far was already telling him a lot.

"And did you see the way he had Andy blushing; he was laying it on thick man. You can call him Mack all right, and he was mackin all over McNally." Dov announced. "He was eating it up when she was talking smack to him on the field. He loved every minute of it. I'm pretty sure he's dreaming up that nickname for her right now."

_Nickname? She didn't need a nickname. She was McNally. His McNally._

Sam knew how eager Andy was just talking about ball so he could see her getting caught up in all the excitement. And she loved to tease; he could only hope that's all it was. And if he found it attractive, he was sure other men would too, but he didn't like the way Dov was making it sound. _Was it just teasing or was it flirting?_

Dov was watching Sam out of the corner of his eye when he turned to Chris. "Did you see when she put her hand on his arm at the bar?"

Sam had been in the process of setting down his drink, and he spilled some of the contents when it landed a little too hard on the bar. He just ignored all the questioning looks as he moved to wipe it up with his napkin. _Get a grip!_

Dov didn't need any more proof than that.

Chris knew when it was time to intervene though. "Yeah, but it's not what you think, Dov."

Chris had been friends with Andy for a long time, and they knew each other well – probably better than people realized. She thought of him like a brother and he protected her as such. He could tell if someone was making Andy uncomfortable, and she wasn't afraid to ask (or gesture discreetly) for his help if she needed it. Dov didn't know it, but more than once, Chris had purposefully interrupted Andy's conversation with Mack just to help her out.

When Chris didn't back him up, Dov tried a little harder. "Come on, she liked him."

"I'm not saying she didn't." Chris defended as Sam frowned. "What I'm saying is that she wasn't throwing herself at him like you make it sound. He was definitely making the moves at the bar, but she wasn't reciprocating."

"She didn't shut him down at the ball field though." Dov argued.

"No but she didn't encourage him at the Canary after. I think she just got caught up in the fun at the field, but I'm pretty sure she realized after that he was getting the wrong idea."

Chris couldn't say that Andy didn't like Mack, he knew she did; but more as a friend or teammate. He was nice and fun, but he was coming on a little strong. Plus Chris was pro McSwarek; he could see how happy Andy was with Sam and how safe she felt with him even if it wasn't romantic…yet. He was also very aware of her ritual at the bar, and the fact that she looked for Sam even tonight said a lot.

He knew Sam had feelings for Andy too and he wanted to make sure that Sam knew that Andy wasn't throwing herself at Mack. He had already watched helplessly as Sam stood by and let her pursue a relationship with Luke; he didn't want that to happen again. _Andy did not look at Mack the way she looked at Sam._

Dov wasn't giving up yet though. "She talked to him a lot, and you can't deny she had her hand on his arm."

"She was talking with him, but she was also talking with a lot of other people. I know he was trying to get her attention, but she only did that to get him to back off. I was right there."

Sam was starting to relax a little knowing that Andy had shut Mack down, but he still didn't like that this guy was coming on strong. _The guy didn't need to just back off; he needed to stop. _And Sam needed Andy to tell him to stop.

"I think she spent just as much time talking to Bolt." Chris continued.

Sam's head whipped around. _Him too?_

Chris spoke directly to Sam, realizing that he had inadvertently stirred the pot again. "She and Gail were talking to him about his family. His wife is a firefighter too and Andy seemed to have a lot of questions about what it was like being married to someone he worked with."

Chris watched as Sam looked down at his drink. Chris was glad to see that he seemed to be a bit calmer; Sam even had a small smile on his face as he contemplated the significance of what Chris had just said. _Could that be a hint that she's considering a future with someone in the same job as her? _

_Or could she be wondering what it would be like going out with a firefighter. Dammit…now he was over thinking every little thing._

Sam may have been a little more content, but Jerry was far from it. "Why didn't McNally and Traci come back with you two? What were they doing?"

"Traci was still talking to Bronko when we left. I think she was telling him about Leo's play, and he was telling her about how much he enjoyed spending time with his nieces and nephews. They seemed to have a lot in common." Dov answered as he typed into his cell phone.

"There's supposed to be a story about his nickname that she was trying to get out of him too. She didn't want to leave till she heard it." Chris added.

Jerry was definitely concerned, and rightfully so. He kept looking at Chris, hoping for the same small bit of reassurance he gave Sam.

But he was disappointed. Chris was friends with Traci, but he didn't know her as well as he knew Andy. She had been busy raising her son and they hadn't had as much time together. And although he liked Jerry, he didn't always like the way Jerry treated Traci, especially the day he lost his notes. Chris wasn't going to be as quick to defend her actions; the jury was still out on Jerry as far as he was concerned. He didn't know if he was the guy for Traci or not; for all he knew Bronko could be the guy for her.

"I'm pretty sure they talked most of the night; she was trying to find out how he got the name Bronko. I don't know what else they talked about, but they were both having fun. She still hadn't gotten the story when we left; that's why they stayed. Traci didn't want to leave till they found out."

That bothered Jerry, and although Sam felt bad for his friend, he couldn't help but be a little happy to hear it. _It hadn't been Andy's idea to stay._

But that didn't change the fact that Andy could still be there. He didn't know what she was doing or with whom, and he'd had enough. He finished his drink and just started to stand when the door opened; it was Traci and Andy talking and laughing.

Sam breathed a quick sigh of relief before catching Noelle's eye. She raised her brows as if in warning. She knew him well enough to know that it wasn't going to be easy for him to keep his cool, but she also knew it was probably in his best interest to do so.

"It's a bit late to be coming out for a drink isn't it ladies?" Jerry said snidely.

Sam couldn't disguise his frustration either. "I'll say. When you said you were going to stop by later, I didn't think it would be this late."

The girls just looked at them wide eyed, wondering who peed in their drinks. Noelle rolled her eyes; so much for her warning.

"Actually we didn't come for a drink." Andy explained furrowing her brow at Sam. "We just stopped by on our way home to give this to Dov. His text said he was still here."

She turned to Dov, "apparently Snow White prefers to keep company with birds instead of dwarfs."

The senior officers all looked at each other, completely baffled by Andy's cryptic message. But when she handed the paper to Dov, he looked at it and grinned. It was Abby's number; he wasn't going to have to ask for it. _What a night._ _He met a girl and he and Chris got invited to sit at the grown up table. Rock and roll Epstein!_

"Did you get the story out of Bronko?" Dov asked as Jerry looked on anxiously.

The girls started laughing hysterically. "Oh Yeah!"

"You gotta spill." Dov begged.

"We'll tell you tomorrow." Andy promised. "I'm exhausted. It's time to go."

"Your friend Mack wasn't too happy when you made that same announcement at the Canary." Traci teased.

Andy responded with a look of disbelief. She couldn't believe her friend would bring that up in front of everyone.

But Traci read her disbelief the wrong way. "Oh come on, Andy. You had to know he was disappointed to see you go; he was about as subtle as a Mack truck. I actually thought his friends were going to have to hose him down."

Andy blushed as she stole a look at Sam; he did not look impressed. And she didn't know if she should be mad or glad. Mad at Traci for getting Sam riled up. He had just started loosening up and sharing more with her; she didn't want him pulling back now. Or glad to see that it bothered him that someone else might be making a move on her. But she'd think about that later when she got home; right now she needed to get the focus as far away from her as possible.

"I don't know, Trace…there was a lot more 'horsing around' happening on your side of the table." Andy taunted back. "Your buddy Bronko didn't look too happy to see you 'trotting' out the door either."

Jerry's scowl looked permanently etched on his face, and it only deepened when he witnessed Traci's reaction. She giggled like a little school girl. She had had a great time tonight and nothing was going to put a damper on that.

"Yeah, yeah…very funny. You're cute; aren't you?" Tracy responded as she grabbed Andy's arm. "We'll see you guys tomorrow; we're walking home to crash at Andy's."

Sam stood up quickly and offered them a ride. But before Andy had a chance to say yes, Traci declined. "No, don't worry about it. It's not far and it's a nice night; we need to wind down before we go to sleep anyway."

Andy's frown was lost on Traci so she turned and gave Sam a half-smile as she shrugged her shoulders in regret.

He was disappointed as he watched them walk out, but he did have a little consolation in knowing that Andy would have taken him up on his offer. He only hoped that things were still moving in the right direction. He thought they had made a lot of progress this week, and he didn't want tonight to change that.

This fireman was getting in his way though; he had only known Andy for a few hours and he was already making a move. But Sam had a whole week with Andy to himself and he intended to make damn sure there were no joy rides involving any Mack trucks.

* * *

Sam and Andy were actually scheduled to have the whole weekend off, but in order to get next Saturday off, they had to work this Saturday.

Sam started the morning trying to find out exactly what happened at practice and at the bar last night. Chris had given him a little insight but he needed to hear it from Andy. He wanted to see it in her eyes; that's when he would know for sure.

When he asked how practice went, she gushed over how good everyone did. Andy could tell he was fishing, but she didn't know what to give away. She was worried that she might say the wrong thing and have him shut down again.

"How did **you **do?" Sam asked. "I heard you were putting on a show."

Andy didn't know if he meant about her ball skills or if he meant the smack talk, so all she said was, "I got a little carried away."

Sam didn't quite know what to make of that, but he was hoping that it was regret he recognized in her voice. Before he could ask for more details, they were called away and the rest of the morning was a blur.

When they got back to the barn just before lunch, Andy had a message from Mack. If they were coming by tonight to pick up Traci's car, he thought they should stop in for another drink.

When she read the message, Andy could feel Sam's breath on the side of her neck as he read over her shoulder. It was hard for her to breathe normally when he was this close. She could feel the all too familiar butterflies entering her stomach, but they were gone too soon.

He stepped back as soon as he finished reading it, and irritation was apparent in his voice. "Are you going with Traci to get her car?"

"She hasn't asked me to."

"And if she asks?" Sam wondered.

"She's my friend; it would be hard to say no." Andy admitted.

Sam just scowled in response, and Andy was anxious to relieve some of the building tension. "But that doesn't mean we're stopping for a drink; she may not even be able to. We might just grab her car and go."

"Hmmm," was Sam's only response and Andy wasn't quite sure what to make of that. _Well at least he doesn't seem angry._

After eating a quick lunch at their desks, Sam and Andy started making their way back out to the cruiser. Just as they reached the door, Andy felt a hand on her arm. It was Traci.

"Do you want to stop by the Canary after work for a drink? Bronko called to say they'd be there and he asked if we wanted to come. I have to go pick up my car anyway. We could stop for a quick drink and then I can drive you home." Traci asked expectantly.

Andy was glad to see her friend so happy, but she didn't have to look at Sam to know that he wasn't.

Andy was hesitant. "Um…I don't know Traci."

But Traci was persistent. "Please Andy; I'd really like to go."

Sam could tell that Andy was about to give in; Traci was her best friend and Andy wouldn't walk away from that. So that meant it was up to Sam to come up with a better idea. He scanned the barn quickly, trying to think of something before Andy said yes. His eyes lit up when he saw the perfect solution heading right for them.

"Epstein." Sam called, waving him over.

Dov grinned; Swarek wanted to talk him. _That's twice in 2 days._

"Nash needs someone to go to the Canary with her after work; she wants to stop for a drink and pick up her car. Andy isn't…well, she has to…Andy can't! Can you go with her?" Sam asked.

Dov appeared to be thinking about it, but Sam needed him to do more than think. "Maybe your princess will be there." Sam suggested. Andy had told him about Dov's infatuation with 'Snow White' so he was pretty sure that would get Dov to bite

"Works for me." Dov beamed.

Traci just looked back and forth between Sam and Andy. She had been with Andy the entire night. _Did something happen at work this morning that she didn't know about? She was definitely going to have to ask Andy about this later._

Andy was trying to contain her shock (and joy) as she watched the smug smile take over Sam's face. When he turned to see her smiling back at him, he tried to cover up with a gruff, "Let's go!"

Andy simply followed along happily, unable to wipe the grin off her face.

* * *

Nothing like knowing you have competition...here's hoping the boys know what to do about it.


	5. Chapter 5

I really expected to get through a lot more days in this chapter, but as you know, I tend to get wordy. Enjoy!

* * *

When they got to the cruiser, Andy was still smiling and Sam was doing his best not to. He was glad that she would not be seeing Mack tonight but even more glad that she was OK with the way he had handled it. It could have easily backfired on him if she had taken offense and gotten angry.

He looked over at her and she met his eyes with twinkling ones of her own. He couldn't hold it back after that and he grinned at her with his signature dimples. She held his gaze for a moment before she blushed and looked away. The silence that followed was comfortable as they both enjoyed the feelings that had been stirred up.

Unfortunately the silence was broken quickly by a call over the radio. The rest of the afternoon flew by but the overall sense of contentment never left.

When they got back into the barn at the end of the day, Sam asked Andy if she wanted to go for a drink at the Penny.

As soon as he saw the look on her face, he knew she was going to say no and his confidence wavered. _Why wouldn't she want to go? They had had a great day._

"I can't go to the Penny with you Sam." Andy revealed.

"Why?" Sam had no idea.

"Well…after you so kindly told Traci that I couldn't go out for a drink with her, how would it look if I turned around and went for a drink at the Penny?" She asked.

He hadn't thought that far ahead; he had only done what he needed to do to stop her from going to the Canary.

"I see what you mean." Sam agreed.

"It's alright; I…I'm tired anyway. I think I'll just head home, go to bed early and catch up on some sleep." She had been going to say that she had stayed up too late last night, but she thought better of it.

"OK…you want a ride?" Sam asked. "…you know since you're so tired."

She smiled liking where this was going. "Sounds good; just let me get changed."

Before Andy could turn for the locker room, Sam upped the ante. "And you probably don't feel like cooking either; do you?"

She had leftovers but he didn't need to know that. "Definitely not. Did you have a plan to help me with that too?"

"Why don't we grab a quick bite and then I'll drop you off at home." Sam suggested.

"I'd like that. Thanks, Sam." She said sincerely.

When Andy walked through her apartment door a few hours later, she was grinning from ear to ear. _What a great day!_ She and Sam had a terrific supper. He had actually taken her to a nice little sit down restaurant and it turned out to be more than just a quick bite. If she didn't know any better, they had just gone on a date. And that was fine with her…though she would have appreciated the good night kiss.

She took a quick shower and headed straight to bed. She was definitely going to have some sweet dreams tonight.

* * *

Sunday morning, Andy woke to the ringing of her phone; she groaned when she saw single digits on the clock. She was glad she had gotten to bed at a decent time, but was a little miffed at whoever was calling this early on her day off. She looked at the caller ID and was surprised to see that it was Traci. Traci knew Andy was off today; they both were. But then Andy remembered what Traci had done last night. _She needs to talk._

"Hello." Andy answered sleepily.

"Hi, Andy. Did I wake you?" Someone was way too chipper and had been up for way too long already.

"It's OK. What's up?"

"Andy, I had so much fun last night." Traci gushed. "Dov and I went to the Canary for a drink and then we ended up going out for supper with Bronko and Abby. It was so nice."

"Andy I really like him." Traci admitted.

"Traci that's so great." She was happy for her friend. "Did he ask you out or anything?"

"Well, I'm going to see him today; I'm taking Leo to the fire station." Traci announced.

Andy was shocked. Traci didn't even tell Jerry for months that she had a kid, and even then everyone, including Jerry, found out by accident. "Isn't it too soon?"

"I'm not taking him to 'meet my boyfriend'," Traci explained. "He's just going to see the fire trucks."

"But…" she added conspiratorially. "If I get to see what Bronko is like with him, well that's just a bonus. But don't worry I'm not going to tell Leo."

"Good. Because I was a little worried." Andy confessed.

"Give me some credit Andy; I've been a mom for 6 years. I know when it's too soon." Traci assured her before adding. "But I'll tell you what's **not** happening too soon…you and Swarek. What going on?"

"What do you mean?" Andy asked.

"Come on Andy; I was standing right beside you. He practically said you weren't allowed to go to the Canary or at least he said you had something to do? I can't even remember exactly how he explained it, but he did say you couldn't go. What did you have to do?"

"It wasn't like that, Trace." Andy defended. "Mack had called me earlier and asked me to come out."

"And Swarek didn't like it?" Traci guessed.

"No, he didn't seem to, but that's not what I was going to say. I didn't want to go and I'm sure Sam could tell. I didn't want to lead Mack on."

"So now you admit you were flirting." Traci teased.

Andy was not giving in. "No…I admit that it could have looked like I was flirting."

Traci thought that was just a technicality.

"I think Sam was helping me get out of it – he knew I would go just for you even if I didn't want to."

"That's sweet, honey but I'm pretty sure Sam was helping himself. He didn't want you to go either Andy."

Andy was smiling. "I know."

Traci could tell Andy was happy and she was happy for her. Things were finally happening with those two, and it was about time.

"So did you have plans?" Traci wondered.

"Not at the time." Andy said.

Traci wanted details. "And what exactly does that mean?"

"It means I didn't have plans when I talked to you, but I made plans afterward…with Sam." Andy explained.

"And?"

"And we had a nice dinner too. Then he brought me home so I could get some sleep because someone wouldn't let me get any the night before." Andy teased.

Traci laughed. "Well, I'll let you get back to it if you want; I just needed some girl time this morning. Now wish me luck. I really hope they get along; I know it's too early to even think of this as something major, but I do like Bronko and if it does get serious, I want him to like Leo too. It's a deal breaker if he doesn't."

Andy didn't want to burst Traci's bubble, but she knew it was going to come up sooner or later. "Traci, what about Jerry. He seemed pretty jealous last night."

"I know, but I broke it off with Dex weeks ago, and he's done nothing about it." Traci disputed. "I like Jerry; I do. But I'm just not sure anymore. I don't think he knows what he wants or if he does know, he hasn't told me. I guess right now I just want to see if whatever this is with Bronko leads to something. I'm relaxed and I'm having fun, and I need that right now. I'm not stressed about what is or what isn't there or about doing what's best for everyone else. This is for me."

"OK, Trace; I get it. But if after today you want to spend more time with Bronko, you may want to think about having a chat with Jerry just so he knows where things stand. I think he still cares Traci even if he didn't do anything about it."

"I'll think about it Andy." Traci offered. "But at this point, we're really only ex-lovers; I'm not even sure I could call him my ex boyfriend. I'm not entirely convinced I owe him anything, but I will at least consider letting him know that I'm going out with Bronko…that is if Bronko even asks me out."

"Oh…he'll ask." Andy was sure of that. "Have a great time, Trace. Call me later if you want or I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Bye, Andy."

Andy rolled over and went back to sleep. She was not about to waste a perfectly good day off by getting up early. Plus she had an amazing dream to get back to. _Now where were we?

* * *

_

When Andy got to work on Monday morning, she was still in a great mood. Saturday was perfect and Sunday was relaxing; she was ready to see what the week had in store for her…and she was ready to see Sam.

Parade went quickly and they headed out to the cruiser. Sam seemed to be in a good mood too. The morning went smoothly as they chatted about nothing in particular both afraid to push things too far and remind the other about their 'date' on Saturday.

They were called to an accident scene just after lunch, and arrived at the same time as Noelle and Traci. Everything was cleared fairly quickly, but before they left Traci stopped Andy and asked her to go for a drink after work. She wanted to tell Andy all about her afternoon on Sunday. Andy grinned and of course said yes; they both squealed a little when Traci told her that Bronko did indeed ask her out.

When she got back in the cruiser, Sam asked Andy what that was all about.

"Traci took Leo to the fire station on Sunday afternoon; Bronko offered to show Leo around. We're going to the Penny tonight so she can let me know how it went."

Although Sam was disappointed that he couldn't ask Andy to the Penny himself, at least he knew she would be there. But that wasn't the only thing that bothered him about what she had said.

"Has she told Jerry she's going out with this guy?" Sam asked.

Technically they hadn't really gone out yet, but Andy wasn't going to get into the particulars with Sam. "What difference does that make?"

Sam was actually surprised she even had to ask. "Well, you have to know that Jerry likes her."

"I do know that, but Sam, she's been broken up with Dex for weeks. Jerry hasn't said or done anything in all that time. Why do you think she owes him an explanation?"

Sam answered her question with another question. "Would you tell me if you were going out with Mack?"

Andy was caught totally off guard. _What did he mean by that? It wasn't even the same situation; was it?_

Andy's mind was racing. _Would she or wouldn't she? What was the right answer? Was there a right answer?_

When she didn't respond right away, Sam mumbled, "Never mind," and effectively cut off all conversation.

The comfortable silence that filled the vehicle this morning was all but gone, and Andy was left trying to figure out a way to get it back.

Sam knew he had overreacted; he and Andy didn't share the same history that Traci and Jerry did. But Sam still knew exactly how Jerry felt and if it was him, he thought he would want to know. The trouble was the more she thought about it, the more he thought it could actually be him. _What if she was trying to decide how to tell him that she was going to go out with Mack? _He wondered then if maybe he didn't want to know, and so he had cut her off.

When they pulled into the parking lot at the end of the day, Andy put her hand on Sam's arm to stop him from getting out. "Sam, the next time I say yes to a date, I'm hoping you'll be the first to know."

And with that she got out of the car and walked away. Sam just sat there for a few seconds. _Did she mean what I think she meant?_ He shook his head and walked to the locker room in a daze.

* * *

When Andy went to the Penny with Traci that night, she knew she wouldn't have any time to talk to Sam; Traci would want her undivided attention. But when she came in, she still scanned the bar looking for him. She was disappointed when he was not at his usual spot and she could not see him anywhere. She hung her head a little and was about to follow Traci to a table when she heard a low voice in her ear. "Looking for someone?"

She spun around quickly and came face to face with Sam. She tried to play it cool, but the crack in her voice gave away the lie. His proximity was doing funny things to her heart beat and the butterflies were racing in her stomach. "What…no…I was just looking for a place for us to sit."

Sam just chuckled and she shook her head as she grinned back. They both knew she had been caught. "OK…fine…I guess I just didn't think there was anything wrong with wanting to say hi to your partner."

"There isn't anything wrong with wanting to do whatever you want to **your** partner." Sam whispered into her ear.

Andy just stood there wide-eyed and speechless as Sam walked away with a smirk.

He knew that he was only going to get a few minutes with Andy this evening. It was a girls' night and she was going to be busy with Traci. So he had waited in his vehicle for them to arrive; when he saw them go in, he followed right behind. He knew exactly what she was doing when she walked in and he couldn't have scripted her response any better if he had tried. If that was all the time he was going to get tonight, he had made the best of it.

Sam laughed as he sat down; she still hadn't moved. He watched her shake her head as Traci grabbed her and pulled her towards a table.

Sam was still smiling when his drink came, but it soon faded when he saw the look on Jerry's face. Jerry was watching intently as Traci talked to Andy. It was obvious that she was happy, and it only served to make Jerry miserable. Sam put his arm on his friend's back. "You OK, Man."

"I think I blew it, Sammy."

Sam didn't know what to say to that; Jerry could very well be right but Sam really didn't know one way or the other. Andy had told him a little about the situation but not much. From what he could tell though, Traci liked the guy…a lot. Jerry finished his drink and made some feeble excuse about having to get up early.

Sam spent the rest of the evening talking with Oliver and Noelle. He watched Andy leave that night after spending a great deal of time watching her be a good friend. He headed home shortly after, glad that Andy hadn't let his temper spoil anything. He was happy she hadn't let him leave things the way they were this afternoon; it gave him the confidence to say what he did when she came in. He didn't usually lack confidence, but when it came to Andy his feelings were anything but usual.

* * *

Tuesday morning started off with a bang; they had just left the station when an arson call came in. Officers were needed on scene to cordon of the area, and also to canvas for witnesses. They had to find out if anyone had seen anything.

Andy had barely made it out of the vehicle when she felt a large gloved hand on her back; it was Jax. "Hey, Andy. How's it going?"

"Hi Jax! You guys got your hands full." It was a pretty big fire.

"You do too. From what I can tell, no one really saw anything." He stated. "Hey you should come out again; why didn't you come with Traci on Saturday?"

Before she could come up with an answer, someone was yelling for him. "Sorry…duty calls. See you Saturday."

"You bet."

"Friend of yours?" Sam snapped.

"That was one of the guys we played ball with; he's a good shortstop." Andy thought it best to just stick with the facts.

"Hmm." Sam responded before getting back to business. "Well let's see where they need us."

Sam and Andy were assigned to cordon off the area, and then when everything was done, they would help with the canvassing if needed.

They had gotten the tape all set up and all the spectators were kept at bay as the firemen did their jobs. Andy had never really paid attention before but now that she knew a lot of these guys, she was fascinated by all that they did. And she couldn't help but wonder how many times she had probably seen all of these guys before without giving them a second thought.

The only thing that fascinated Sam was the number of firefighters that remembered Andy's name after knowing her for just a few hours. It seemed like every time someone went by, they waved at Andy or called out her name. He was getting whiplash from flipping his head to the sound of her name and then turning back to see her smile at each and every one of them. At that point he realized he shouldn't have been surprised that they remembered her.

The fire was just about under control when Bronko went by and did a double take. "Hey, Andy!"

"Hey Bronko."

"Is Traci here too?" He asked hopefully.

Andy smiled; her friend's feelings seemed to be mutual. "No she's not."

"OK…tell her I said hi."

"Will do!"

"And you guys should come by again." He suggested

Andy smiled but didn't answer. She looked over at Sam who was frowning again; he was getting tired of all these guys suggesting she come back to their bar. And none of them were even the guy who was supposedly hitting on her.

The fire seemed to be all but out when 'the devil himself' appeared. Sam and Andy were just starting to take down the tape and barricades. "Andy!"

Andy and Sam both turned at the same time. Andy tried to smile, but she was immediately uncomfortable and Sam could tell. _This must be him._

"Hi Mack."

"Hey! Bronko and Jax told me you were here; I'm glad I saw you." He said coming up to stand right beside her.

"Yep; we're just finishing up. We may be around for a bit though to help knock on some doors." Andy explained.

"We missed you at the Canary on Saturday night; you should have come back with Traci."

"Um…yeah, I couldn't; I had some other stuff I had to do."

Sam could tell by the way Mack was leaning towards Andy that he was definitely interested. When he reached to put his hand on her arm, Sam cleared his throat loudly.

Andy turned to him. "Oh…Mack, this is my partner Sam. Sam this is Mack; he'll be playing Center Field for the other team on Saturday."

Mack offered his hand and Sam took it and shook it firmly. "Nice to meet you." Mack said completely unaware of Sam's dislike for him.

The second Mack let go, he immediately ignored Sam and turned his full attention on Andy as he pulled out his cell phone. "You know I was wondering if I could have…"

Andy was starting to panic; she really didn't want to deal with this right now. But she was saved. Before he could finish, Sam grouched. "McNally, let's go…we have a job to do." The look he gave Mack clearly said that Sam thought he should be doing his job as well.

Andy shrugged her shoulders at Mack as she turned to leave. "I'll call you at the station, OK?" He offered.

_Dammit, doesn't this guy take a hint._ Andy obviously didn't make it clear enough at the Canary so Sam decided that at some point he was going to have to.

Just as they were walking away, Bolt called out to Andy.

_Not again_, thought Sam.

"We'll probably still be here for about another hour." Bolt said to her. "Can you check back before you leave; I'd like to introduce you to my wife."

"Is she here?" Andy asked, looking around.

"Yeah…I was telling her about you on Saturday, and she said she wanted to meet you."

For the next hour, Sam and Andy helped with the canvassing but came up empty. The other officers had received a few leads which would be followed up on after they got back to the station. Sam wanted to head right out but Andy asked him for a minute as she ran back over to the fire scene. They were just cleaning things up, but she spotted Bolt right away.

"There she is." Bolt said as he saw Andy approach.

"Andy…this is Lisa. Lisa…this is Andy."

Andy shook her hand and furrowed her brow. "You look familiar."

"So do you." Lisa agreed. "But I can't quite place you."

The girls talked for a few more minutes and Lisa asked Andy if she might be interested in playing some softball with her women's team.

Andy was surprised. "But you haven't even seen me play."

"No, but Bolt has. And if he says you're good; you're good." Lisa bragged.

Andy blushed. "Thanks."

"Don't be modest, Andy." Bolt said. "You were really great."

Andy promised to think about it and Lisa said she would call to see when they could get together to discuss it more. She was hoping to have Andy meet her for lunch or supper when she had more time to give Andy all the details. Andy told her she could reach her at the station.

As Andy headed back to the cruiser, she realized Sam had been watching her every move. He looked relaxed but that was probably because she had been talking to another woman. She saw him noticeably stiffen and she couldn't figure out what could be wrong until she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Mack standing behind her with a big smile.

He had just pulled out his phone again when Sam yelled. "McNally…today!"

"Sorry, I gotta run." Andy said and she took off for the cruiser. She didn't need Sam any more upset than he already was.

Her door was barely shut when he started. "Jeez, McNally…you've got quite a line forming. Pretty soon I'm going to have to take a number just to talk to you."

"Talk is cheap, Sam. The line you want, only has room for one."


	6. Chapter 6

Sorry, but this chapter is more about moving time forward rather than moving their relationship forward. Hope you still like it.

* * *

Her door was barely shut when he started. "Jeez, McNally…you've got quite a line forming. Pretty soon I'm going to have to take a number just to talk to you."

"Talk is cheap, Sam. The line you want, only has room for one."

Where she got the nerve to say that, Andy had no idea. Everything Sam had said and done over the last week pointed to the fact that he did indeed want to be the one in that line, but Andy still could not believe she had called him on it.

Sam wanted to say something but he didn't know what. She was obviously going over everything in her mind; was she ready for him to lay it all out there? The wheels were spinning in Andy's head and he could see that. He didn't want her second guessing what she had said. He didn't want her to worry that she shouldn't have said it or want to take it back. He needed to say something.

"Andy?"

She shook her head to get out of her own thoughts. She turned to look at him. "Hmm?"

"You're right. I do want in that line."

She grinned at him.

"But, Andy, I need to know that's what you want too." He warned.

"I do, Sam. Of course, I do." She couldn't believe he would even doubt that. "Can't you tell?"

"Then why haven't you told Mack to back off."

"I did tell him to back off." Andy disputed.

"Well it didn't work because he's obviously still trying. You need to tell him to stop. You need to tell him you're taken."

Andy smiled at that thought. "I can do that."

Sam smiled back. "Good, because Andy I've waited too long for someone else to get in the way."

"You don't have to wait anymore." She assured him.

"You need to tell him." Sam insisted.

"If I do, will you ask me out on another date?"

"Another date?" Sam asked.

Andy blushed. Supper on Saturday hadn't really been a date, and she knew it. But Sam just grinned; it had felt like a date to him too. If she only knew how badly he had wanted to kiss her.

"Don't tell me I missed our first date?" He teased.

"Sam!"

"As soon as you tell him, make the reservations."

Before Andy could respond, she was interrupted by the radio. "1505, what's your 20?" Unfortunately, it was not dispatch; it was Best and he didn't sound happy.

Sam got on the radio. "We just left the scene and we're on our way back to the barn."

"Come to my office when you get back in." He ordered.

Andy looked worried. Their moment was over; for now it was back to business.

As soon as they arrived at the station, they went straight to Frank's office. The first thing he wanted to know was why everyone else was back and they had taken so long. As always, Sam had Andy's back; he told Frank that they had spent a few extra minutes talking to the fire captain. It wasn't a lie.

"Did he have anything to add?"

"No, but the marshal was just arriving when we left." Sam reported. "Was there anything else?"

"Yes, I just wanted to give you a heads up. You'll be working with the UC guys for the next few days."

"Both of us, sir?" Andy inquired.

"No just Swarek. Andy you'll be in booking tomorrow and at the desk on Thursday. I'll let you know about Friday. You'll find out in parade that morning; if everything goes well with Sam's assignment, all the rookies will be on back up for the bust that day."

"OK, sir."

As they were leaving the office, Sam turned to Andy to ask her about the Penny tonight. _ They went all the time; technically it wouldn't be a date._

"Swarek!"

Sam and Andy both turned at his name being called; it was Boyd. Andy tried not to let her disgust show on her face; ever since the whole Lessing mix-up, he didn't like her and the feeling was definitely mutual.

They both stopped and looked at Boyd waiting for him to continue. He looked over at Andy. "I said Swarek."

"Great." Andy responded, not wanting him to think it bothered her. "I'll see you tomorrow, Sam."

"Aren't you going to the Penny?" Sam asked.

Andy grinned, but before she could respond, Boyd burst their bubble. "She may be, but you're not, at least not for a while; we've got some work to do for our meeting at headquarters tomorrow. Sorry, Bambi!"

Andy narrowed her eyes, tilted her head, and flashed Boyd a mock smile before turning back to Sam. He shrugged his shoulders in apology.

"Night, Sam." Andy said as she turned to leave. They were both disappointed, but things were definitely moving in the right direction. Now she just had to follow through and make sure nothing else stood in their way.

Andy decided to skip the Penny. Sam wasn't going to be there and she knew Traci wouldn't either. Seemed like a good idea to go home and just relax, maybe she'd even stop by and see her dad.

* * *

As planned, Andy spent the day in booking on Wednesday; it was a busy day and happily the time went by fast. At her first free moment, she called the fire station and asked for Mack. Unfortunately, she was told that he was away for training for the next few days and would not be in until Friday. Disappointed, she left a message for him to call as soon as he got back.

By the end of the day, Andy was exhausted and she went straight home. She was upset too; she hadn't seen Sam all day and she had no idea how to reach Mack. She could try the Canary but she really had no idea if Mack would even be there and she did not want to get roped into staying whether he was there or not. This was not going to go as smoothly as she had hoped.

* * *

Sam was in early Thursday morning to help lay down the plans for the bust on Friday. They had gone through everything at headquarters yesterday, and this morning they needed to coordinate the back up plans.

When Andy made it to parade, the first thing she noticed was that Sam was still not there; she figured he must already be deep into it with Boyd and Jerry. She was actually a little thankful; she didn't quite know how to tell him that she hadn't talked to Mack yet. She didn't want him to be disappointed in her.

The desk was quiet and Andy spent most of the morning thinking about Sam. She was glad she had put it out there a little more. Things were definitely moving forward and they had had some steamy conversations but she was more than ready to move past that. There was only one thing hanging over their heads and it was starting to get to Andy. When things were quiet, she had time to think…or more like over think. She was starting to worry that Sam would be angry; they hadn't even started and she was already scared that he would get fed up and leave._ He already said he had waited too long._

Sam, on the other hand, was busy all morning and had little time to think, but as soon as they broke for lunch his mind was racing. He wanted to talk to Andy to find out if she talked to Mack. Maybe they could even grab a quick bite of lunch together.

Sam could see her at the desk and he knew she hadn't seen him. The plan formed quickly; he would sneak up behind her and give her a good scare. But just as he got within a few feet, the phone rang. He took a step back and waited patiently trying not to make a sound.

Andy answered the phone and it was soon obvious that the call was for her. Sam didn't generally eavesdrop, but the conversation immediately caught his interest.

"Quiet Morning? I guess that's always good at the fire department."

"Yeah that one the other day was something else? Did the marshal find out anything?"

"Wow…"

"Tomorrow?" Andy sounded a little uncomfortable and Sam's ears perked up.

"I'm really not sure that..."

"What time?"

"I really don't know. I really don't think…"

"I don't have a lot of free time."

Why did she keep beating around the bush? Sam was ready to grab the phone and tell the guy himself.

"Boy, you're really trying to talk me into this aren't you?"

"So now you're resorting to flattery."

"OK; I'll come, but only because I don't think you're going to take no for an answer. I can't promise anything past tomorrow, but I'll come."

"See you then."

Sam had listened to the whole conversation and he was not impressed. Yesterday she basically told Sam that she wanted him; she even agreed to tell Mack she wasn't interested. And then today she's planning to go out with the guy.

But he was more disappointed than angry. He really didn't think that Andy would even considering going out with Mack. She even seemed uncomfortable with all his attention. But then again, Sam had intervened the last few times Mack had even tried. _Maybe he needed to let her go out with Mack; it might be the only way he knew for sure that she really wanted him_. But he had done this before, waited for her to make up her mind and it had not been fun. He didn't know if he could sit back and wait again. If she couldn't make up her mind, he may have to make it up for her. He just needed to decide which way.

He walked back to the room planning to take Jerry and Boyd up on their offer to order Chinese.

Andy had wanted to say no. She wanted to keep her nights free, hoping to spend them with Sam even if she couldn't call it a date yet. But Lisa wasn't taking no for an answer. She really wanted to talk to Andy about playing ball with her team.

When it was time to leave for the night, Sam still hadn't emerged from the room with Boyd. Andy headed to the lockers and straight home. She was a little sad that she hadn't talked to Sam, but since she hadn't talked to Mack yet either, she decided it was probably for the best.

* * *

Friday morning was spent getting everyone up to speed on the back up for the bust with the UC squad. Andy tried to catch Sam's eye a few times but he was all business. When she finally did, he just raised his eyebrow. She dropped her chin slightly and looked down before bringing her eyes up to meet his and shaking her head. She could see the disappointment in Sam's eyes and maybe even a little uncertainty. She tried to hold back the tears that were threatening to spill. _He was already having doubts. _

Everyone was dismissed with instructions to be ready to go in ten minutes. Andy was going to be in the surveillance van and Traci reminded her to go to the bathroom. Andy had just emerged from the locker room, when Mack finally returned her call.

As soon as she heard his voice, she was completely relieved, but before she could say what she wanted to say, the alarm rang and he had to go. She had just enough time to tell him she would talk to him tonight when she met Lisa for supper. She then gave Lisa a quick call to arrange to meet her at the fire hall.

The bust went down without a hitch and at the end of the day, Jerry made Sam promise to go with him to the Penny to celebrate. When Sam said yes, he looked up to see Andy watching him sadly. He took a step towards her, planning to ask her if she would be there too, but then he remembered that she had already made other plans. He couldn't help the grimace that took over his face.

Andy's eyes widened; she didn't want to leave things the way they were. She needed to talk to him; he needed to know that she had tried and that she was going to try again. She took a step towards him, and tried to smile hoping for a friendlier response.

Sam watched her intently and he could see the caring in her eyes. She really didn't look like someone who wanted to go out with another man. He was debating his next move, when Jerry grabbed him to finish up some paperwork.

Dejectedly, Andy made her way to the locker room to change before heading out to meet Lisa at the fire station. When she got there, she found Mack right away.

"Hi Andy."

"Hi Mack. I'm glad I caught you; I wanted to talk to you for a minute."

Mack smiled. "I'm really glad you called; I wanted to talk to you too."

Andy couldn't believe it when the fire alarm rang again. _She was really beginning to hate that sound. _At that moment, Mack didn't look too fond of the sound either, but for a totally different reason. He waved to Andy as he took off on the truck. She would not get her chance to talk to him. _How in the world was she going to face Sam?_

Lisa had been off that day and she arrived shortly with her 2 kids in tow. She took Andy to a family friendly restaurant where there were activities for the kids. They ate quickly and then Andy and Lisa talked while they watched the kids play.

They first started talking about how they might know each other. They realized that they were very close to the same age and had played ball against each other when they were in high school. They spent the next few minutes replaying some old games and laughing.

Lisa told Andy all about the team and how often they played. As much as Andy enjoyed playing and as much as she was enjoying Lisa's company, she really didn't know if she could commit. Her schedule changed often and even then, if a call came in, you couldn't just leave. Lisa understood and told her that it was the same for her. But they always had lots of people they could call last minute.

Andy promised she would think about it as she got up to leave. Lisa asked her if she had any plans for tonight, but Andy said she was just going to stop by the Penny for a quick drink with her friends before heading home. She was actually hoping to catch Sam and convince him that she had really tried, and make sure he knew that she was going to do it.

Lisa was ready to go too, even if her kids weren't, so she told Andy she would drop her off at the Penny. Andy didn't want her going out of her way but she did catch a ride to the fire station; she could walk from there. It would give her some time to clear her head and maybe come up with a way to approach Sam. Plus, if she was lucky, Mack might still be there and all her problems could be solved. He wasn't.

* * *

When Sam arrived at the Penny after finishing up the paperwork, he and Jerry took their regular seats at the bar. It wasn't long before Traci came up to get a drink, and Jerry called her over. She was a little uncomfortable but she didn't want things to continue to be awkward; she knew this conversation had to happen.

Jerry decided to keep it simple. "So are you ready for the big game tomorrow?"

"I think so. My mom is bringing Leo so he can be our bat boy; he's really excited."

Jerry was sincere in his response. "It will be nice to see him; I haven't seen him in a while."

Traci wasn't sure how to respond so she stayed quiet.

Jerry decided to change the subject. "Where's McNally? She didn't come with you?"

Sam had been trying to mind his own business, but this he wanted to hear.

"She's supposed to be by later. She said she had to be at the fire station by 5:30pm, but she said she'd meet me here after."

Jerry looked over to see Sam grimace. He knew exactly what his buddy was feeling, but right now he was more worried about him and Traci. "So have you had anything to eat; do you want to go get something?"

"Actually, Jerry, I really don't want to leave because I'm meeting Andy, but if you have a minute, can I buy you a drink and talk to you over here." She motioned to a more private table.

When Andy came in, her eyes scanned the bar. She was pretty sure she knew where he would be, but she needed an extra second. She saw Traci and Jerry sitting in a quiet corner; Traci looked a little uncomfortable and Jerry was not happy. He looked like he was pleading his case.

Andy stopped delaying the inevitable and she glanced over and saw Sam watching her. She gave him a tentative smile to which he just nodded. She was scared and it would have been easier to just avoid him, but she didn't want this going on any longer than necessary. She walked over.

"Is this seat taken?" She asked.

"Not right now, but I'm sure it will be once your friend gets through breaking Jerry's heart." Andy could hear the bitterness in his voice.

"I feel bad for Jerry; I do." Andy responded. "But that's between them."

"What about you?" Sam wondered. "Did you break any hearts tonight?"

"What?"

"Did you see your friend Mack tonight?" Sam clarified.

"Yes, I did but…"

Sam interrupted; he just wanted to know. "Did you tell him?"

"No, I couldn't…" Andy started.

But he didn't even give her a chance to explain that she just saw him in passing. Sam turned back to his drink. "Well, let's talk when you do."

"I tried Sam; I really did." She was almost in tears.

He didn't look up; he hated to see her cry. But he couldn't believe she spent the last couple of hours with the guy and didn't tell him. _How hard could it be? If she really wanted to be with me, it should have been easy. _Sam didn't respond.

Andy didn't know why Sam wouldn't listen, and now she didn't even feel like a drink any more. The only thing she felt was sad.

She walked quickly over to Traci. She didn't want to interrupt, but she couldn't be there anymore. She told Traci she didn't feel well and left.

She had barely been gone 5 minutes when Sam started second guessing himself. _I hate it when she's sad. I should have at least asked her what happened – told her how I felt._ He was always frustrated when she didn't tell him what was bothering her and now he was doing the same thing to her. He pulled out his phone to text her. _Maybe she would come back or maybe he could go see her._

He checked his phone 5 minutes later – nothing. _She always answered right away._ He tried again.

As he waited, he watched Jerry get up from the table, pay for his drink and leave without another word. Traci was not far behind him. It didn't look like their talk had gone very well.

Sam sat alone at the bar with his eyes glued to his phone. He tried texting Andy 3 more times over the next half hour, and he even left a few voice mails…nothing.

He finally decided that he would just go over to her house so they could have it out. He was about to leave when Bolt and his wife walked through the door. Sam recognized them from the fire the other day and apparently Bolt recognized Sam as well.

They walked over. "Aren't you Andy McNally's partner?"

"Yes."

"I thought I recognized you from the other day. Is Andy here?" Bolt wondered looking around.

"No, she isn't."

Lisa spoke up then. "Funny, she said she was coming here."

"When did she tell you that?" Sam was curious.

"She told me at supper." Lisa replied.

"Tonight?"

"Yeah, I wanted to talk to her about joining my softball team." Lisa explained. " She didn't really want to but I talked her into at least meeting me. Apparently she needed to talk to Mack too so we decided to meet at the fire station. But the guys got called away before I got there so I guess she didn't have a chance. Anyways, she left her cell phone in my car. I would have dropped it off at your division for her to pick up tomorrow, but it kept vibrating. I didn't know if it was important or not so I thought I'd try her here."

"You didn't miss her by much, but I can take it for you if you like." Sam offered anxiously, as he reached for the phone.

Lisa and Bolt exchanged looks as there was a definite sense of possessiveness coming from Sam. They both had a feeling they knew why Andy wanted to talk to Mack tonight.

Lisa handed the phone to Sam. "See you at the game tomorrow." She said and waved as they walked out the door.

The second the door closed, Sam paid for his drink and jogged to his truck. He found a spot outside Andy's apartment and walked up to the entrance. He could hear the surprise in Andy's voice when he buzzed her apartment. He only had to wait for a second before he heard the door unlock. _At least she was willing to let him in._

When Sam knocked on the door, Andy opened it quickly. He hadn't even shut the door before the words started tumbling out of Andy's mouth. "Sam, please, I really tried. When I didn't get a chance on the phone this morning, I tried to talk to him tonight before supper, but he had to take off on a call."

He held up her phone. "I know Andy."

"So you believed Lisa, but not me." Andy was hurt.

"Andy, please don't say it like that. Even before she came, I realized that I should have let you explain. I was trying to reach you so we could talk. Check your phone." He pleaded.

Andy checked the phone and there were 5 text messages and 3 voice mails all from Sam; the first one had been sent 5 minutes after she left. Andy was still a little bothered by his doubts, but she didn't want to waste time being upset.

"Do you want a beer?" She offered.

"OK, but this isn't a date." He teased.

"I know." She said with a smile.

"You have to tell him tomorrow." He demanded.

"I promise." She swore as she crossed her heart and turned towards the kitchen.

"Do you want to seal it with a kiss?" Sam suggested.

When Andy turned and saw him walking slowly towards her, all she could do was nod.

He reached for her hand and pulled her against him. He laid his other hand softly against her cheek and placed a tender kiss on her lips.

She leaned back slightly. "Sam?"

"Hmmm." He responded with his eyes still closed.

"After I tell him, I want to make more than reservations."


	7. Chapter 7

I'm undecided about this one. I struggled with trying to figure out how much of the ball game to write. I actually mapped out a score sheet so I knew exactly how the game went.

I'm afraid there's quite a bit of detail, but that's because I had some fun elements that I wanted to work in and it didn't seem right to just skip over the game. This is almost all ball but I hope it doesn't read like she hit, she ran, she scored then he hit, he went out, next up. So for those who don't play or watch ball I hope I don't bore you. I hope I didn't include too much detail, and I hope you all enjoy.

* * *

He reached for her hand and pulled her against him. He laid his other hand softly against her cheek and placed a tender kiss on her lips.

She leaned back slightly. "Sam?"

"Hmmm." He responded with his eyes still closed.

"After I tell him, I want to make more than reservations."

Sam's eyes opened wide as she pulled him in for a deeper kiss. The kiss ended quickly though as Sam couldn't contain his smile. Andy grinned back and winked as she headed to the kitchen to get them each a beer.

They sat on couch and talked for a bit but when Andy tried to offer Sam another beer, he knew he had to say no. If he didn't leave soon, he wouldn't want to, and they had a deal. He just didn't realize how hard it would be to stick to it. He was ready to make more than reservations too.

As Sam was leaving, Andy asked him if he wanted to go for an early lunch before the game. His first thought was that he would rather be having breakfast together, but right now he couldn't let that be an option.

"That sounds like a date." He teased.

She just rolled her eyes at him. "Fine; I'll invite everyone to meet us and then we can all go to the game."

Sam agreed and Andy texted all of their friends as soon as she shut the door. They all agreed to meet for brunch at 11:00am the next morning, giving them two hours before the game…enough time to eat and let it settle before they had to play.

* * *

Sam picked up Andy and her equipment at 10:45 and even though they reached the restaurant early, almost everyone was already there. Andy sat between Sam and Leo who was there with Traci. Andy couldn't help but smile at Leo's excitement; he couldn't wait to be the bat boy.

After the meals were ordered, everyone busied themselves with smaller side conversations until Dov got everyone's attention. "I think we need nicknames."

"What?" Andy asked, clearly confused.

"We need nicknames; they all have them." Dov reasoned.

"Well I can think of a few things I like to call you." Shaw offered.

Everyone laughed, but Dov wasn't impressed.

"What's wrong with man-boy?" Traci asked.

"I'm serious." Dov argued.

Everyone started throwing out names for Dov and none were the least bit flattering…Twiggy, Stick Man, Junior, and Lovey Dovey. The last suggestion came courtesy of Leo and the whole table burst into laughter.

"Very funny." Dov retorted without humor. "Those aren't good enough. They don't even sound tough."

"Have you looked in a mirror lately?" Gail wondered.

"Do you really think they would believe it if we called you something like the Hammer?" Shaw asked.

After a few more digs, the food arrived to distract everyone. Dov just gave up. _At least Lovey Dovey didn't stick.

* * *

_

When they got to the ball park, they all started to warm up. Andy went over to the other dugout to see if she could talk to Mack before the game. Jax spotted her first and motioned to Mack who jogged over to meet her part way. Before she could talk to him, the rest of his team pulled him away. "No fraternizing with the enemy." They teased. "She's probably here to steal all our secrets."

Mack looked disappointed, but Andy knew it was not for the same reason she was. Sam watched her walk away dejectedly. When she met his eye, he gave her a smile of encouragement; he knew she was trying. She smiled back thankful for his support.

As the coaches, Oliver and Noelle met the umpire and the other team's coaches at home plate for the coin toss; they let Noelle call it. She won the toss and the cops were home team this year, which meant the firefighters were up first.

Bronko lead off and wasted no time hitting the ball into left field. He also made the most of being safe at first, flirting shamelessly with Traci while they waited for the next pitch. Both he and Traci were caught off guard when one of his teammates yelled at him to pay attention. Jerry just grimaced from his seat in the dugout; he had his work cut out for him.

Mack was second up and after taking a couple of pitches, he hit a line drive right to Andy; it was almost a carbon copy of the catch she made last Friday. "Damn." He cursed.

"I guess it's a good thing we practiced that play." Andy taunted with a grin.

Mack just pointed at her and raised his eyebrows. "Careful."

Both teams were laughing at Andy's gibe when she tossed the ball back to Chris. She turned to look at Sam but he was not laughing or smiling. Andy's grin dropped quickly off her face and was replaced by the guilty look of a kid with her hand caught in the cookie jar. Sam couldn't help it and he started to laugh too. He shook his head; he knew she was just getting into the game and besides that, she looked way too cute. "Nice Catch."

He was happy that he hadn't made it a big deal because the smile he got in return made it well worth biting his tongue.

Abby was up next and she grinned when Dov yelled at his team to have some respect. She proved him right when she hit the ball strongly into Center Field. But she had hit it too hard because when Bronko tried to make it all the way to third, Luke threw him out. That left Abby at second with Bolt up.

There was no question when Bolt hit the first pitch; they all just watched it sail over the fence and the firefighters scored 2 runs. The next batter hit a grounder to Sam, which he easily picked up and threw to Traci at first. Andy gave him a high five and another smile as they ran into the dugout. The coppers were up to bat.

Dov was up first and everyone laughed when he hit a little dribbler to the pitcher. But it wasn't quite so funny when he almost beat out the throw. With one out, Luke and Andy hit back-to-back doubles. Sam knew Luke was a decent player, but when Andy followed him with an equally good hit, he was pretty sure they weren't exaggerating about how good she was.

Sam got up and promptly hit a home run over the fence. Andy jogged the bases just slightly ahead of him. When Sam rounded third, Oliver slapped his hand in celebration. "Story of your life eh Sammy?'

Sam turned back. "What do you mean?"

"Chasing after McNally."

Sam just rolled his eyes and continued to the plate as Oliver chuckled at his own joke. Andy waited for Sam at home and the rest of the team fell in behind her to congratulate him. She had a big smile for him and he had to shake his head at the cheesy thoughts he was entertaining. _He could get used to coming home to her. Ugh...that was so bad. Shaw must be rubbing off on me.  
_

Chris was up next and hit the ball hard, but Jax picked it up and threw him out at first. Traci followed with a base hit, but the next player hit it to second base and she was put out there.

After the first inning it was Coppers 3, Firemen 2.

Lisa was first up in the second and she hit one just over Andy's head for a base hit. Jax wasn't so lucky though; he hit a hard grounder right at Andy, which she picked up and tossed to Sam. He touched second and threw to Traci for the double play. Two out. The next batter was a woman and the coppers in the field took a few steps in; they almost paid for that mistake. She hit the ball hard and Luke had to back up fast. He caught the ball just before it went over his head. No runs scored.

With the coppers up, Gail was batting first and she was happy when she hit the ball hard down third base line, but unfortunately Bronko picked it up and got it to first to get her out. The next batter hit a long fly ball to Mack, which he caught easily. When the last batter in the lineup hit one that got past Bronko this time, Dov was up again. Unfortunately though, he hit it right at Jax; so he just had to toss it to second to get the final out. No runs for the cops either.

End of the second inning, it was still Coppers 3, Firemen 2.

The first two batters got base hits before Bronko came up; he hit one to short. Sam had to move to reach it, but he was able to toss it to Andy to get the girl out at second. She tried her best to turn the double play, but Bronko just beat out the throw even with Traci stretching. There were runners at first and third.

When Mack got his base hit, a run scored leaving runners at first and second. Abby's hit scored Bronko, but the left fielder was able to get the ball back into Sam quickly and he held Mack at second. It didn't take long for him to wish he hadn't.

Andy was standing just behind second base as Sam went out to get the throw. When Sam turned around, he saw Mack lean over Andy's shoulder to say something in her ear. Before Sam or Andy could object, one of the other firefighters came running out onto the field with a water gun and sprayed Mac in the back. When Mack turned in shock, his teammate said, "Sorry, just putting out a fire." The rest of Mack's team roared; they had all been witness to his attraction to Andy and thought it was hilarious.

Andy blushed and Mack grinned while the rest of the team continued to laugh. Sam tossed the ball back to Chris with a little more force than was necessary. Andy kept stealing sidelong glances at Sam but he continued to look straight ahead.

When the laughter died out, Bolt was up and hit another hard one, but it was a fly ball to center field that was caught by Luke. Abby tried to tag up on the fly, but she was put out at second. With their half of the inning over, two runs had scored.

The bottom of the inning had Luke batting first and he hit a single. Andy followed that up with a triple over the left fielder's head and Luke scored. Sam was again impressed with Andy. Bronko gave her a high five when she came up safe at third. He knew she was a great fielder, but they had not seen her hit last week. _She was good._

When Sam came up and again hit one over the fence, Oliver couldn't resist when he passed him at third. He motioned to Andy at the plate; she was again at the front of the line ready to congratulate him. "It's not nice to keep a woman waiting Sammy."

"I'll try to remember that." Sam replied, this time shaking his head at his friend.

Next batter was Chris, and although it was a great hit, it was caught deep in the field. Traci then got a base hit between first and second but the next batter hit to Jax and he turned an unassisted double play…with a little help from Lisa at first. She had to dig the ball out of the dirt to make it happen, and she made sure he knew that she saved his ass.

After the third, it was Coppers 6, Firemen 4.

The first batter of the inning was a big guy and he took a hard swing at Chris' first pitch. On instinct, everyone took a step back, but he just missed the ball. It went high in the air behind home plate and Gail caught it. Chris was cheering louder than anyone as she did a little dance of joy before recovering her normally cool exterior.

Lisa's base hit was followed by Jax's, and when the next girl came up and hit a double, Lisa scored. After Sam caught a line drive, the last girl hit a fly ball between Dov and Andy. They knew it was going to be a tough play; it was in no-man's land. Dov ran as hard as he could though and was able to catch it. Abby cheered just as loud as the cops, and her teammates tried to stare her down. She didn't care; it was a great play..._by a great guy.  
_

The cops were up again and Gail got her base hit this time. When the next guy flew out to Abby, Dov returned the favor and cheered for her too. She thanked him with a quick smile.

After another base hit for the girls, Dov was feeling a little more confident. He was able to connect with the ball and this time he was happy that he hit a little harder, but unfortunately it was right at someone and it was a line drive out. Luke followed with another hard hit ball, but the left fielder caught it right at the fence.

Luke waited at second for someone to bring him his glove; it was considered ball etiquette that when you were the last out or left on base, a teammate generally brought your glove out to you so you didn't have to go all the way back in.

As Mack was returning to his team's dugout he took the opportunity to talk to Luke. He could see that Andy wasn't coming out right away since she had been ready to bat so he thought he'd do what he could to gather some needed information. Luke was surprised when Mack asked him if Andy was taken. He had seen the little exchange on second, but didn't realize the level of interest.

Luke knew that something between Sam and Andy was inevitable but as far as he was aware it had not happened yet. She would have no interest in anyone else; Luke was sure of that. But he had already seen what Mack's actions at second had done to Sam and he knew this would piss him off even more; he was still a little bitter. "Nope…you should go for it." Luke advised.

Both men were grinning as they headed off in opposite directions. "Thanks, Man."

After 4 innings, it was Coppers 6, Firemen 5.

Bronko lead off the inning by hitting to third, but with Traci's stretch, they were able to get him out. Bronko congratulated her on a good play, holding her hand a little too long for Jerry's liking. His disapproval was lost on Traci though; she was just enjoying the idea of holding Bronko's hand.

When Mack came up, he hit one into the field and tried to stretch it into a double, hoping to get a little more face time with Andy. He got his face time all right. He ended up having to slide and he took Andy's legs right out from under her. Andy ended up basically lying on top of him. He reached out to grab her and asked if she was OK.

She didn't have time to respond though because Sam was there in a flash. "Alright, McNally this is supposed to be a family friendly event," he growled as he grabbed her hand and helped her off Mack. Andy just walked quickly back to her position, muttering an apology without looking back. She didn't want either of them to misinterpret the blush in her cheeks.

Sam's anger was written all over his face and Andy's response was telling too. Mack came to the realization as Sam offered him a hand. Mack stood facing Sam and said, "Sorry, man I didn't know."

"Didn't know what?" Sam was still growling.

"That Andy had a boyfriend. Your center fielder said she was unattached. I didn't realize…"

Sam was trying to decide if he should be mad at Luke, but that thought didn't distract him enough to not play along. "Well…now you know so..." _You can back the hell off._

"So…I get it…she's not available."

Andy watched the end of the exchange but wasn't able to hear it. When Sam returned to short with a smug smile on his face, Andy was a little worried. _What could they have said?_

Abby and Bolt both got hits so Mack scored and they were standing at first and second. The next player hit one hard and fast between first and second. Andy picked it up, tagged Bolt quickly and then tossed it to Traci for the double play. Andy had been running towards first to pick up the ball and so she was almost right beside Traci. They took the opportunity to perform their celebratory dance once again. Most of the firefighters gave them the gears for gloating, but they still couldn't help but laugh.

As the cops cleared the field Sam caught up to Andy and Traci. "That was a great play."

The girls smiled at the praise, until he added. "Wish I could say the same about the dance...if that's what your calling it."

Traci and Andy just rolled their eyes at him as they linked arms and strutted off the field together.

Andy led off the inning with a home run over the right fielder's head. The left fielder had learned his lesson and moved back but this guy hadn't and she got the perfect pitch. The opposing players gave her high fives as she rounded the bases.

When she passed by Jax and he called her a show-off, Andy started to worry. She didn't want him to think that she was being arrogant. She turned to apologize but the twinkle in his eye gave him away.

"Yeah, well some of us got it and some of us don't." She teased back.

Sam followed her home run with one of his own, and Andy was front and center to greet him again as he crossed home plate. Now that Mack was aware of the situation, he wondered if he shouldn't have figured it out sooner. Lisa exchanged looks with Bolt; their feeling from last night at the Penny was definitely spot on.

Chris' base hit up the middle got him to first, but he went out at second when Traci hit the ball to Bronko. Traci wasn't on the bases long either though, as the next guy hit into a double play ending the inning.

With 5 innings complete, it was Coppers 8, Firemen 6.

Lisa started them off with a base hit bringing Jax up next. He hit the first pitch foul and it was headed straight towards the cops' dugout. Traci gasped, worried about Leo until she saw that Jerry had been nearby and pulled Leo immediately behind him to keep him safe.

Traci was touched and she met Jerry's eye as she let out her breath. He could see how thankful she was and he nodded his head with a small smile. She was more than happy to return it with a smile of her own; he cared about her and Leo, and whether or not things worked out for them, she knew that.

When the game resumed, Jax hit a double and there were runners at second and third. They both scored on the next hit before the following batter went out on a deep fly ball. The last girl hit a line drive right at Sam and he caught the other girl sleeping at second. He tossed it to Andy who had run in behind the girl and they were able to get her out before she could tag up.

The cops were up again. Gail got another base hit, but the next guy hit into a double play and there were quickly two out. The final girl in the order hit a long fly ball that looked like it was going to drop between the fielders, but Abby was able to track it down. Three up, three down.

After 6 innings, it was Coppers 8, Firemen 8.

The game was tied going into the last inning so it was do or die and the firefighters came out with bats blazing. Bronko, Mack and Abby all hit singles. Bronko scored and Mack was standing at third when Bolt came up. He hit a sacrifice fly that Mack tagged up on and there was a play at the plate. Gail made the catch, but Mack had already been called safe. Abby advanced to second on the throw home.

The next guy hit a line drive to Chris; he caught it and looked back but Abby was still standing on second. Lisa then directed a base hit between Sam and the third basemen but Abby was only able to make it to third. When Jax flew out to deep center, there were three out and two runs had scored.

This would be the coppers last bat; they needed 2 runs to tie or 3 to win and the top of their order was coming up. When Dov hit one to third and beat out the throw, he was having trouble containing his excitement until he heard Leo's voice yell from the bench. "Good hit, Lovey Dovey!"

His head snapped to the dugout and the smile immediately dropped off his face. The entire field was in silent shock for about a half second before everyone erupted in laughter.

The thrill was gone for Dov, but it was just beginning for Leo. Every cop wanted to give him a high five and he was in heaven. After a couple of the firefighters ran over to celebrate with him too, you couldn't wipe the grin from his face.

When everything finally settled down and Dov's face returned to its normal color, Luke hit the next one hard and far but to the deepest part of the field. He watched it thinking he had just hit in the tying runs but Mack caught it over the fence. Luke was disappointed but he had to admit it was a great play.

When Andy hit a double, Dov easily scored. Sam was up with the tying run at second and the winning run at the plate. If this was a regular game or a regular tournament, Bolt would have walked Sam to get to Traci. But it was a charity game and he didn't think it would look very sportsmanlike to do that. Sam watched him; he had played enough ball to know what Bolt was considering. The nod he gave Sam let Sam know that he was going to leave it up to fate.

After taking a couple of pitches, Sam hit the ball over the fence again. No one was surprised.

Frank was in the stands already exercising his bragging rights. The game was over and the coppers won it 11 to 10.

Andy was practically dancing around the bases ahead of Sam, and she hugged him as soon as he crossed home plate. She pulled away awkwardly when she realized everyone on her team was waiting. Sam just grinned and let her go so he could exchange congratulations with the rest of their teammates, including a reluctant handshake with Luke.

After giving three cheers, they all shook hands, with each team complimenting the others on their play. Andy was given a lot of pats on the back; she and all the girls on her team had done well. As Bolt predicted, they had been the difference in the game. Though all of Sam's home runs didn't hurt either.

Gail reminded the other team that they were invited to the 'winning team's bar', and despite the grumbling everyone knew it was all in good fun.

Andy would have talked to Mack then but his team had already headed off to the parking lot.

As they walked back to the dugout, Sam teased Andy. "Maybe the girls will be lining up now."

"They already are." Andy said with a little edge to her voice; she had noted a number of women watching Sam with interest all game. She nodded her head towards a group behind the dugout. Sam just grinned; he could tell she was jealous.

"Am I going to have to get in line just to talk to you?" She asked recalling their conversation earlier in the week.

Sam looked her straight in the eye before answering. "I guess no one told them the line is right here."

"I'm sure they'll figure it out soon enough." Andy remarked happily before hugging him and giving him a kiss on the cheek.

Andy and Sam met Traci in the parking lot. Everyone was running home or to the station to shower and then they would gather at the bar when they were done. She and Sam had made arrangements to meet at the Penny; she knew she would take way longer than him to clean up properly so she and Traci were going to get ready together at her apartment.

Andy planned to talk to Mack the minute she got to the Penny. For once, the first person she looked for might not be Sam. Oh, who was she kidding; she knew she'd probably still look for Sam first.

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OK...you had to know that Sam would be the hero, right?

I wrote this entire story just to get to the next part. There are 2 separate scenes but I haven't decided if it will be two small chapters or one long one. Stay tuned.


	8. Chapter 8

Sorry it took so long. It turned out to be just one short chapter; I'm sure I could have filled it up more, but I really just wanted it to be mostly about Sam and Andy.

The Sam/Luke confrontation is for Swarekaddict79; hope you like it.

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Before they took off, Andy and Traci watched Leo get into the car with his Grandma. He hardly even looked back; he was too busy asking his Grandma if she saw what a good job he did and how they all gave him high fives…even some of the firemen.

Traci and Andy laughed at his antics as they drove away, but they were soon home and focused on the task at hand. Tracy jumped in the shower first and once Andy finished hers, they were done in record time. They were out the door 45 minutes after they came in.

When they pulled up to the Penny, the parking lot was packed. They knew it was going to be busy but the minute they opened the door, the noise assaulted them. They had seen the Penny full, but never this full. Every cop and fireman from the 15th must have been in there tonight.

Traci smiled almost immediately; she had already spotted Bronko sitting with a large group not far from the door. Andy's gaze was automatically drawn straight to Sam's usual spot and he did not disappoint. Just as their eyes met, Andy's arm was grabbed and she was being pulled in the opposite direction.

Sam's smile didn't quite make it to his dimples before it fell off in disappointment; he had wanted to motion her over. But he knew he didn't feel as bad as the guy sitting next to him though. Jerry had watched with him as Bronko grabbed both Andy and Traci and pulled them to the table that was filled with his teammates as well as Chris and Gail, and Dov who was deep in conversation with Abby.

Andy and Traci exchanged greetings with everyone around the table. Andy had to smile when she saw the look on Dov's face. Lovey Dovey wasn't too far from the truth right about now, and she planned to tease him relentlessly about it later.

Bronko offered them a seat but the girls decided to stand; Andy planned to work her way over to Mack as quickly as possible.

Before they had a chance to order a drink, beers were placed in their hands by Dov. Apparently he wasn't totally mesmerized by Abby, at least not enough to neglect two of his best friends.

Andy and Traci smiled as they both received a lot of compliments on their play that day. Bolt couldn't help but remind everyone that he had called it last week that the women would be the difference in the game. Lisa just groaned.

"Yeah…yeah…you were right." She agreed, before quickly adding "…just don't get used to it." The table erupted into laughter.

As Andy tried to make her way over to Mack, she kept getting intercepted by another guy. She felt like the blush was permanently coloring her cheeks; she wasn't used to all the compliments. But they were all being so nice when they told her how great they thought she was so she was polite and made sure to thank each one, all the while being careful not to give anyone the wrong idea. She did not want to go through that again.

She was almost next to Mack, when Lisa got a hold of her. She told Andy that she thought that even Bolt had underestimated how good she was. Andy thanked her too, but told her that she still wasn't sure about playing ball with her team. She did give Lisa a glimmer of hope though when she suggested that maybe if they were playing in a tournament on a weekend she was off, she could give it a try. The grin on Lisa's face was huge; that was a good start and then she would have the rest of the team help her to convince Andy to commit more.

Meanwhile Traci had changed her mind about standing and sat down next to Bronko. She was smiling when he placed his arm on the back of her chair, but the smile faded just a little when she saw Jerry walk out the door. Although she was just sitting with Bronko, she didn't want Jerry to think she was throwing it in his face.

Over at the bar, Sam was watching the entire scene unfold; he hadn't been good company to Jerry as he was too busy watching Andy. He had just realized that Jerry left him alone, when he heard another voice behind him. He frowned as soon as it started. _Where are Ollie & Noelle when I need them?_

"Looks like Andy has a lot of admirers."

"Yeah well she played a great game; she deserves it." Sam responded, showing no interest in continuing the conversation.

"I think they're admiring more than just her game." Luke taunted.

Sam's patience was already wearing thin. "Your point?"

"I'm just saying I'm surprised; I thought you would've moved in the minute I moved on."

Sam laughed humorlessly. He knew which one of them had moved on.

Luke wasn't ready to give up though. "That Mack seemed to really like her."

"Yeah…thanks for telling him she was available." Sam replied sarcastically.

"Why? Isn't she?" Luke asked with fake innocence. "Is there something you want to tell me Sammy? I didn't see you making any moves; I thought she was still free."

"Just because you don't see something, doesn't mean it's not there."

"Whether it's there or not is beside the point." Luke said bitterly; he knew all too well that it had been there between Sam and Andy for a long time. "You still have to do something about it."

"You better be careful." Luke warned. "You snooze you lose."

"Yeah, well. Don't worry about me." Sam advised. "Contrary to what you might believe I haven't been 'snoozing'."

He finally turned to look Luke straight in the eye when he added. "And I'm not the one that had her and let her go. So I think we both know who the loser is here."

This did not go as well as Luke had planned, and he walked away in a huff. Sam smirked as he turned back to his drink.

On the other side of the bar, Andy finally got next to her target. "Mack, can I talk to you for a second?" She asked, motioning away from the group.

"It's OK Andy; I already know." Mack said as he followed her to the bar.

"What do you mean?" Andy asked.

"I mean I already know. I am surprised though."

"Surprised?" She had no idea where this was going.

"Your boyfriend must really trust you."

Andy wasn't sure she heard him right. "Pardon me?"

"Your boyfriend, he must really trust you." He stated again. "I would have been over here within the first five minutes when all these guys started coming up to you. And yet he still just sits at the bar."

"It's Sam right?" He asked as he motioned towards the man in question. She looked over to find Sam watching intently.

"I'm really sorry if I was too forward." Mack apologized; he was just a really nice guy. "I hope I didn't cause any problems between you and your boyfriend."

"It's fine." Andy said with a soft smile. _My boyfriend._

"You guys make a great team; you two were unstoppable today – double plays, back to back home runs."

"We are pretty good together." She admitted with another smile. "But how did you know?"

Mack laughed. "Well it was pretty easy to tell he was jealous by the way he reacted when I slid into you at second, but then he confirmed it when we spoke right after. "

Andy's grin grew bigger.

"I wish you would have told me. " Mack said, a little hurt.

"You're right, Mack. I'm sorry." Andy apologized. "It's just it's still kind of new so…"

When Mack looked at her hopefully, she added quickly, "…It's already pretty serious though."

They continued to chat for a few minutes against the bar, but he had taken the hint. When Andy called the bartender over to order a drink, Mack turned away to rejoin the group. Andy was looking down at her drink, replaying the conversation…and enjoying the revelation.

Sam had watched as she chatted with all the other guys and then Mack. He knew he should be more sociable and go over there and chat with all of them, but he didn't think he could do it without putting a protective arm around Andy. And he didn't want it to look like he didn't trust her.

He was about to order another drink when the bartender brought him one. "I didn't order that."

The bartender responded nonchalantly. "It's from your girlfriend."

Sam looked at him confused. The bartender motioned to Andy across the bar, who had been watching the exchange.

Sam met Andy's eye and she tipped her glass to him and winked. _Mack must have told her about their conversation._ He grinned at her and motioned for her to join him.

"Were you going to leave your **girlfriend **alone all night?" She teased.

"You weren't really alone for long now were you?" He said, trying to control the jealousy that was seeping into his voice.

"No…but don't you think a girl would prefer the company of her **boyfriend**?"

Sam knew he'd been caught, but he wasn't about to acknowledge it. "I don't know would she?"

"Well this one would." Andy revealed, sitting down beside him.

Sam grinned. "So is your friend upset about striking out?"

"No, but he's wondering why I didn't tell him up front that I had a boyfriend?"

They both knew, but he still wasn't admitting to anything. "And?"

"Well I couldn't really tell him that I didn't know I had a boyfriend so I told him it was still pretty new."

She looked over at Sam. "I guess I'm just getting used to it."

"Good." He said, giving her a quick glance.

They sat in companionable silence for a bit, each in their own thoughts about what this meant and realizing that they could finally be together without anything or anyone standing in their way. Those thoughts were enough to spur Sam into action. "Have you had enough celebrating?"

"I've had enough here." She said with a saucy grin. Glad they were on the same wavelength; Sam grabbed her hand and started to lead her out of the bar.

They slipped out quickly not wanting to draw attention to themselves. But they didn't go unnoticed; a small smile graced Chris' lips before he was quickly drawn back into the conversation.

Out in the parking lot, Sam led Andy to his truck. Instead of opening her door, he took her by surprise and pinned her against the side. Andy giggled as he started to kiss along her jawline. "Andy?"

"Hmm?"

"If you remember the game this afternoon, you'll remember that I'm not used to stopping at first base." He said, as he moved his mouth to meet hers in a soft, passionate kiss.

Andy leaned back for just a second. "I'm not sure if you remember…but I'm not either." She responded, deepening the kiss.

"Good to know." He murmured against her lips, before continuing to devour them.

When they finally broke apart, gasping for air, Sam opened her door anxious to get them on their way. After helping her up, he ran around to his side to get in. He immediately pulled her close so she could snuggle in beside him. They had just exited the parking lot when Sam spoke again, lowering his voice. "Andy…I don't know if you remember the game this afternoon, but I wanted to remind you that I'm not used to stopping at second base either." His hand slid up and down her arm, grazing the side of her breast with each pass. He smiled as she shivered.

"Sam," she responded in kind. "You might recall that I don't always stop at second base either. "

Sam's smile faltered just a little. "I don't want to talk about what happens when you're at second base."

Andy chuckled quietly. "Then maybe we should go straight to third." She proposed in a soft voice, as she slowly moved her hand up his thigh.

When it started to slide up and down his inner thigh, he felt the side of her hand graze him as she whispered in his ear. "Because I think jealous Sam is very sexy."

He tried to laugh, but with Andy so close, he was having trouble with even the most basic functions. He stopped her hand so he could at least concentrate on driving. Once she stopped, he regained control of his voice. "Andy…I don't know if you remember …"

"Let me guess." She interrupted. "…you don't stop at third either?"

"Well, I don't like to brag." He stated.

She just lowered her chin and raised her eyebrows at him.

"Well…not usually." He granted with a wink. "But I believe I hit a home run every time I got up to bat. You know I'm kind of getting used to it."

"And I do recall that you enjoyed going all the way yourself." He added with a wicked grin.

Andy blushed at both the compliment and the prospect of what Sam was suggesting.

"So what do you say McNally?"

"Well that depends."

"On what?"

"Do you want home field advantage?" She wondered.

Sam's playful mood turned more serious as he contemplated the implication of her question. "You're not going to run are you?"

"No." She answered, realizing it was the complete truth. For the first time in her life, Andy McNally did not have the urge to run.

She finally felt...safe.

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Hope you liked it! And it's never too late to review...I love hearing what people think.


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